Potatoe Chronicles
by faerieMagic07
Summary: When Tonks' new assignment summons her back to Hogwarts, she wreaks havoc to Lupin's otherwise peaceful uni life. Nymphadora Lupin (a.k.a Violet Sharp) is in the house! Proud brainless bigots better get outta the way.
1. Security Breach

"One day, you will be old enough to read fairytales again" - C. S. Lewis

.oOo.

Kingsley Shacklebolt, head of Aurors, was peacefully sipping his tea. He frowned. Quiet repose is overrated. Indeed these days, he seem to be always torn between enjoying his tea, and wanting to finish it in one go. Because it would not take an hour before someone opens his door to make him spill his drink.

Footsteps hurriedly stamped on the floor with such force and speed. Then his door banged open, and an out of breath Auror with pink hair appeared.

"Bloody hell," the coffee spilled.

"Kingsley! You must come at once. The whole DepMys is going ballistic." Tonks threw her hands up. "They want every Auror with two feet that are still breathing to move."

"Steady there. What happened?" Kingsley asked.

"The security had been breached."

And as if on cue, the alarm bells sounded. Tonks looked up as the lights danced red.

"All Auror, to arms, there has been a Security Breach in the Department of Mysteries. I repeat. Security breach on level 673. Code red."

At the sound of alarm bells, the whole building were already grabbing their wands, and hastily putting on their spell-repelling robes. Aurors playing exploding snaps, abandoned the cards for their wands. Aurors having their lunch dusted their laps from the crumbs of the bread were on their feet before you could cast a spell. They all sped to the hallways running.

Boots neatly piled by underlings were haphazardly pulled without mercy and stuffed into their impatient feet. Then the peaceful office people listened with dread as their spiked boots trodden through the hallways with hard stomps.

Kingsley grabbed his cloak.

"You," he said to Tonks as if everything happening was her fault. "Get your shins working."

Tonks scowled at him and they both went out of the room.

Tonks herself was running to reach her command unit and be ready to march into the room.

"What on earth..." Nymphadora looked up at the blazing fire above her when she reached the site herself. The Magical Fire Protection and Prevention were up in arms trying to salvage what was left from the wreck. But left and right, debris were already falling.

But amidst all the chaos, Tonks saw it: the shadow of a boy running away from all the pandemonium. Everyone was already occupied about the fire and saving the people who were still inside to notice his escape. No doubt, he must have made it to act as a distraction. His whole face was covered and his hands were gloved white, so no trace of his magic residue would cause any trouble.

She quickly followed suit.

"Stupefy!" Fire first and ask questions later. But her fire missed.

"Stop! In the name of the law!"

The boy opened a cupboard door and entered inside.

Violet smiled when the boy reached the end of the corridor. It was just the department's wall behind his back. "Your luck ends here."

But the boy opened the door to his right and smiled maliciously.

"Fool. That's nowhere to run." Tonks followed and yanked the cupboard door open expecting to see the back of a bleak cupboard, a couple of brooms twisted in the twigs, and some bent and snapped defective wands.

Then the door burst into the familiar emerald-green flames.

She was therefore surprised when it showed her a hallway of what seems like a long forgotten dream. She did not expect to see the familiar torches lit on the sides of a vast welcoming hallway probably leading to a more delightful view of the winding staircases. On the left sides the dark windows loomed black and foreboding when the wind whiffed the cold breeze of an untouched countryside, overlooking what would be a delightful view of the forest and beyond.

Room extensions were one thing, but this was going over the top it was stretched to bordering impossible. This must really be a very big extension charm.

Extendable charms this big? Or this could just be confundus charm and the moment she stepped in, she would be caught into a trap, when everything is shown for what it is.

If he reached to the left, he would reach the stairs, and then it would be too late for me, she thought warily. She was shocked when she heard herself think that. It was not as if the place was in Hogwarts, and not just a very big extension charm.

She was familiar with the geography of the place. It was Hogwarts! Or a very good imitation of the place.

Her hand went to hold the sides of the door. It was then that she noticed that it was licked with emerald green flames. Not much now. Then it finally hit her what it was all really about. He was using floo powder to keep two dimensions connected. It was a modified strain of magic. But was it stable? What it the boy had extra charms to keep only himself from passing? What if it split her into splinters the moment she stepped in. One does not simply walk into new frontiers. And stupidity is a virtue Aurors strive hard to not be an adjective of.

She had split-second to decide whether she would risk her life, when she saw the boy again. The passageway was now dissolving slowly as the powder fuel to the fire was nearly consumed. Her quick-decision skills had all but been thrown out of the window.

Abandoning all her inhibitions, she hurled herself into the embers of the dying emerald flames.


	2. The Melancholy of Remus Lupin

It was one of those days when the sun shone bright upon the windows of Remus' office, reminding him of their quite peace. He had received a special offer to live inside the school guest house. And since Teddy had just started his first year in Hogwarts, Auror Tonks bunked in with them inside. Teddy had the special privilege of living inside one of the staff quarters, which was just situated along the back part of the castle overlooking the garden.

But today, he was buried in a mountain of paperwork. You could barely see his face from the stack of activity books he had to check. Being the head of the Gryffindor house had doubled his workload.

His mother used to tell him,

"If you don't do good in school, you're going to be planting potatoes..."

"If you get a girl pregnant at a young age, you're going to be peeling potatoes..."

"If you don't plan properly for the future, you'll find yourself cooking potatoes.."

Potatoes were the picture of domestic felicity. Or the opposite thereof.

"I can't give you what you want," said Remus back during the war. He was livid when they got to talk about it. That is, the infernal marriage contract.

Either they become impoverished, destitute, or they finally become tired, give up and divorce,or else, a perfect career man would woo Tonks and offer her the world and tell her she deserved it. Remus would be standing among them singing their verses until Tonks woke up and went for the gold.

And if they survive that, a hoodlum barges to pull them down for making it, either from the human faction, or the werewolf faction. Such crab mentality. For being in the middle of both factions such as his current situation would mean he neither had the protection nor the sympathy either; only prejudice from both.

But to all those things Tonks had just two words to say. "Marry me."

Needless to say, these words did not endear her more to him. It only made him frown.

Nevertheless, he conceded to reply, "Show me a financial risk management proposal, contingency plans and the strategy you intend to use."

The next day, Tonks showed up and brought with her a big roll of parchment with complicated diagrams. She showed it to her after the order meeting.

"I intended that to be a joke. Surely you understood that?" he told her. But he consented to opening it.

"Wait. I'm confused. I thought you said we should not joke about these things," said Tonks seriously.

"Yes, but, I meant, I wasn't joking but- Wait." he suddenly stopped when he saw contents on the parchment. "This is not good enough. You used the optimistic perspective to predict its success. I told you to use the beta-figures."

"But... but, I've already cut so many corners. I can't squeeze anything else," she fidgeted with her fingers.

"Rejected. Not feasible," said Remus.

"How dare you! How dare you be so... so... realistic! You're going to be a grandfather, we're going to buy a suburban cottage and you're not going to die. You're going to have grandchildren with beautiful, adorable names, and at Christmas, the house will be so full but we'll manage to fit everyone into the house."

"You're trying to trade love for security! What did your financial advisor say to this?"

Tonks frigetted with her hands. "Well.. well, He showed me a lot of zeroes I think that's about all I understood."

At this, Remus promptly fainted. But before he lost consciousness he could faintly hear her say, "Remus I was only joking! Only joking...import wolfsbane from Canada... insurance medicine deductibles... that's what he said...!"

It was after Dumbledore's death when Tonks finally managed to bully Lupin into signing the Marriage Contract.

It went on like this. He was going home one evening. The house was, as expected, a bachelors', except that it was clean, and there were no clothes in the chairs and in the bed, and the books were neatly piled with painstaking precision for an adult with time resources, which is probably just a way of saying that he had nothing better to do.

It had no lights when he got home. But it was a good cosy home. There were the potatoe plants he planted back then he was looking forward on eating. He was living a very interesting life indeed.

He went inside his cottage, lumus-ed the room and sat himself upon the sofa. There was nothing oddly bizarre about that. It was a hard and long day and he was looking forward to a relaxing shower. But when he turned the handle and opened the door of the bathroom, he jumped back for the shock of his life when a witch came out of it in her jammies, her hair wrapped in a towel. Looking quite cosy as if it was her house and he was the visitor.

"Wha- what are you doing here?!" asked Remus.

Tonks just webt passed him and sta in front of the mirror to comb her hair. Then cassually commenting, "Remus, this is really stupid, and useless and unnecessary. The war's going on outside and I refuse to die remembering you as my serial heartbreaker. So I sneaked and moved in while you were out."

"No..."

"Heck yes, pretty hard too, breaking into your wards. Your house security password was a headache. Have you any idea how hard it was, standing out there, when it was about to rain? And I've tried everything, Tonks, Tonksie, I even tried Dora, but it all didn't work. It had to be the full name NYMPHADORA, I was so wet, I had second thoughts about returning to my flat. You have no idea how heavy my spiked boots were - "

"Nymphadora, you must not do this," Lupin interrupted her. "I can't give you what you want."

Tonks rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I know the drill. I present my proposal, you lay out your antithesis, I kiss you, you give in. Let's just skip that part okay? It's become really tiresome."

Remus opened his mouth. "And my antithesis is-" said Remus, ignoring her request.

But before he could proceed, Tonks clamped two hands on his mouth. "Don't. Speak. You'll get this fic sappy and angsty. And it's already labelled as humour."

There was a brief struggle where they fell to the sofa in a bundle. When Lupin finally freed himself. "I'll give you angst. I'm going to murder you in cold blood."

That was when Tonks ran for her life while Remus was behind her. My guess would be he was trying to tie her into a bundle and kick her back out of the house.

"So what are you going to do about it?" said Tonks, as she shielded herself by going opposite the big table, so Remus could not get at her. "Drag me out of the house?" She swirved to the left. Remus followed. When Remus with his mouth gaped open was incapable of forming something in reply, she grinned triumphantly. "I thought so."

Finding that it was futile, he sat himself upon the sofa again. Once he was harmlessly back to his chair, she went around fixing the room.

"Merlin, I should have done this ages ago... skipped all the angst. My plan is basically full-proof. You can't drag me out, and you can't even drag the Aurors to accuse me of trespassing. They'll just say you don't have the basic rights or something. If only I'd thought of it sooner."

Remus was stone-still, his eyes following her every move. Her perfume might have whiffed his direction once in a while, but anyway, that was not the point. Because it was not alluring in any way.

When there was an impatient rap at the door.

"Just a minute!" Tonks called. "That's only Mad-eye," she told him as she ran to open the door.

But It was not only Mad-eye. It was Sirius and Mad-eye. He and Sirius grabbed his arms on both sides and deposited him to a chair. Then Tonks slapped a paper on the table.

Lupin was incredibly hard to persuade, and was not budging as hard as a rock. But Umbridge made it a point to make werewolf marriage illegal, Tonks had two weeks to race Umbridge before she passed the incongrible bill, that was why she'd marched up to his cottage armed with a contract and a quill, and Moody for good measure to help her hex him into signing.

Tonks rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, you're a commitment-phobic freak and I'm the clingy girlfriend whom you suspect to be devoid of basic accounting knowledge. Well, newsflash, I know accounting basics. So either you sign this, or we are going to be fugitives of law, have elligitimate children, have problems with the insurace…"

"Since when did I agree to become your boyfriend?"

"JUST SIGN THE EFFING PAPER! Of course, no pressure, except, you only have one day to decide, after that, it would be impossible..., which is such a pity because Umbridge made that legislation especially for us. I think she had your name especially mentioned-"

Remus looked at the paper again.

"-Of course, it's your fault you're so pressured right now. You've delayed this soon enough. The bill is going to be passed tomorrow, then we'll be elligals, which is going to destroy my career. And that is the last thing we want. Do you want me to help you decide?"

"This isn't proper. I did not even propose to you. I have no ring…"

"We don't have proper, Remus. We're battling paperwork."

Remus' hands were shaking when he finally put his signature in the paper. It was all so very surreal, and I am half-convinced Remus must have had a slight headache. But Tonks just stood there an unquenchable smile on her face, "Finally!"

Tonks snatched the paper and flung the door open to shout at the dark and empty lawn, brandishing the paper like a victory flag. "Everyone! Professor Lupin finally signed the Contract."

"Victory! Victory to the blood of blacks!"

Booming shouts of merriment suddenly ensued from Lupin's supposedly silent house, and one by one, Hermione, Harry, and the rest of the Order filed themselves in, all of them crowding on the contract that Tonks held up.

"Congratulations Tonks," everyone shook her hands, and they opened a bottle of firewhiskey or two.

"Hmm, looks legit," said Harry after examining it carefully. Molly was dabbing her eyes with tissue and Arthur was shaking Remus' hand, although, Lupin's empty expression may well suggest he did not know what was happening. Lupin watched as the twins and Ginny got their banners out to march and thrash the confetti around the house, chanting their trademark nonsense songs complete with berserk dance moves on the living room (he vaguely thought it was Egyptian).

On the background, Harry and Ron were pulling more trunks and rucksacks along with them. "Okay boys, just put it there in a corner," Tonks said.

All in all, everyone was festive at the news, except for Remus. Who sat in a corner trying to be inconspicuous because his face was so morose, it was not even safe to remotely look at them. He was by far the only gloomy one in the lot. When some of their friends ventured to ask why it was so, Tonks just replied, "ignore him, ignore him," then continued to tell them stories about Remus, his OCD, the fact that the first time he set foot to her flat, he winced every time he saw the mountain of dishes… he was so restless until he get to do the it… then one thing leading to another... until he had scrubbed her apartment clean…

...Bill's shocked face when he entered the flat accusing her of bringing home a man, just because he saw the flat clean. Because let's be honest, Tonks wouldn't even touch the carpets. His more shocked face when not only was there a man, but that the said man turned out to be Remus appearing in front of him, walking from the kitchen, wiping his hands with a cloth and saying coolly, "Is there any problem?"…Bill had pointed his finger at him accusingly, and threatened to tell everyone about this "affair" under their noses and all those times people thought they were normal and responsible, and kind role-models and how his professory image had been destroyed now, and how he couldn't look him in the face anymore without trying to hide his snigger...and Tonks using her bribing skills to shut him up for at least a few weeks…

When everyone finally went home, Remus tumbled to his bed groggily. It must have been a dream, but now he was too tired to think about it. But when he flopped into his sheets, there was a bundle of pink who had taken over the entire space (arms and legs and all, spread across) that begged to defer otherwise. Lupin could not suppress a shout.

Tonks did not even graze him with looking up. She was still inside the pillow and just told him sleepily in her muffled voice to sod off because she was due at seven tomorrow at the office. Adding that whoever was mental enough to marry at weekdays, might as well shut up.

Lupin pointed out that it was her idea.

Tonks just replied it wouldn't have been a bloody weekday if he had agreed sooner.

"It's just that-"

"Sod it Remus, I'm tired, and I need to process this early tomorrow so we could beat Umbridge in the Ministry."

"I only meant to say, could you shuffle over? There's no space for me to sleep in.. or would you rather I sleep in the floor?"

"Oh? Oh, yeah of course," She turned her back and curled into a less-spacy position hugging the blankets to her own in the process.

Lupin sat at the edge of the bed quite clueless for a bit.

"Nyphadora?" Remus prodded the bundle.

"Yes?"

"Can we, I mean, could we…"

"Can't. work. Seven. Your fault. Weekday," said Tonks. Then she started to snore.

Lupin sighed. Truth be told, he should not have been thinking about that. He should have started thinking about more important things like the fact that they were trying to beat the deadline before the bill was passed. Or the fact that it was a downright slap in the ministry's face they might be specially targeted by the ministry. To think, that all these emotional turmoil could have been avoided if only Nymphadora did not develop any affections for him whatsoever. He got up and started preparing an escape tent. He's going to carry it in his pockets the moment the ministry comes knocking on their doors.

Hiding in the forest, he can always work something up to find something edible (Potatoes can be found and planted) If Nymphadora starts to complain then he could possibly be somehow relieved.

He remembered what Tonks did the day after that. There was this ministry party because a new bill had been passed (the aforementioned Werewolf legislation making it illegal for them to marry) in the Wizengamot. She went face to face with Umbridge holding an in-your-face legal marriage contract.

Within seconds, she had Umbridge screaming frantically for security. But Tonks just stood gracefully and said. "I am security." Because she was the part of the advanced guard that night for the fat overpaid politicians, and they couldn't even fire her now that the war had begun.

Needless to say, the tent came useful just the next day after. Remus had to admit it must have been a horrible time. A single noise could already make both his eyes bloodshot open and his wand grip tighten. Her announcement that she was pregnant did not help his nerves.

It would have been good if he built the chairs and the tables and gathered their food from the wildplants, and Tonks stayed inside while she was nursing her growing stomach.

But it was not to be the case. Tonks claimed she would have gone insane if she did not have any adrenaline supply. Or oatmeal supply. She liked wild blueberries on top of oatmeal most. She downright refused to eat the blueberries by itself. It had to have oatmeal.

They could not go to buy oatmeal because they would be recognized. Tonks insisted she could transform and could get it in no time. To which point Remus became unreasonable and used the baby for her to stay put. If there's any buying that would happen, he would go.

Tonks called his plan stupid (She was sorry for it afterwards), and he would only get himself killed. then they would have fights because he would have her stay inside the tent, inside all the concealment charm.

If Remus was honest with himself, part of the problem was not really about Tonks being in danger. She could roam free back to civilization as a new person and she was only staying inside the tent in hiding for him. That would have made him relieved that the probability of his wife dying had somewhat lessened. But he still disliked it. He disliked it when she was more useful. He disliked it when she purchased all the food outside because she could transform into anyone inconspicuous, while all he could do was gather.

That night, after a particularly nasty row, he went out. Tonks grabbed the hem of his clothes and pleaded for him not to go out and do something ridiculous like buying oatmeal. (Later that day when she already ate the oatmeal and blueberries and when she was able to see reason, she also apologized about calling his errand ridiculous instead of dangerous.) She told him it was okay if she just ate potatoes and blueberries, just for him not to be stupid and go out in the open.

Remus gave a halfhearted nod and went out of the tent still fuming. He intended to get some roots for them in the wild. When he was gone, she sneaked out without permission and bought a stack of food supplies, intending to go back before he did.

Remus was furious.

It might have turned into a wonderful night if she only managed to get back before him. But as it was, Remus arrived and finding the place empty except a note.

She was going to cry if she didn't get oatmeal. She had not slept properly for two days because there was no oatmeal. The note said. The note also said she did not write down the place where she went to because he might follow and get himself killed just for oatmeals. Remus crumpled it in his fingers.

She was grinning and happy with her loot when she went home. "Look Remus! There's food here to last us for months! It's enough time to plant a portable garden so we can still go about moving anywhere without the danger of running out of food!" she said happily.

"If you were complaining so much about the poor accommodations, you shouldn't have agreed to be here," he said bitterly.

She could have reasoned that it was only because she was pregnant. But she did not particularly think it was a good enough reason because it was still technically complaining about the food. So she tried to speak without hurting his feelings. But she only managed to say, "I need some space." Which was not also really a nice thing to say if the place you were staying was cramped and did not have space that much. But that was not what she meant. Only Remus was as emotional as a pregnant woman where edible things was concerned.

He looked as if Tonks had just hit him with a curse. "I'm sorry Tonks, I try so hard." Then he didn't talk to her for two weeks. Even if Tonks told him straight-forwardly to "please say something."

That night, Tonks still ate the oatmeal and the blueberries like a pig. She reasoned the baby was not part of the fight, so it could eat without feeling guilty.

Remus thought afterwards that he had been downright unreasonable that moment. Putting Tonks in a difficult position, between hurting his ego and his physical body. Worst thing Tonks could do was to let him eat her food.

Remus, seemingly losing his appetite, mulled his share of the oatmeal and blueberries with his fork. Tonks took one look at him, or his food, depending on who you ask for the version of the story, and said, "you're not going to eat that?"

He shook his head.

"Ok," she unceremoniously took his bowl and ate his share.

Remus ended up eating potatoes that night.

Perhaps that was how she always appeared in his life. How Tonks had always been a whirlwind in his faded drab existence. She was a plum face who showered confetti whenever she went. Sometimes, she was like the wind. Remus was worried he wasn't going to catch up…

Lupin closed the door to his office, his suitcase packed in his left hand, ready to go home. Just as he was turning to the hallway after closing the door, someone was going at his direction at alarmingly unstoppable speed.

.oOo.

"Stop! In the name of the law!"

The boy didn't. Why the Auror department want that shouted when the most it does is make them go faster is anybody's guess. And anybody's guess would be for paperwork and legal diplomatic what-not purposes.

Nevertheless, she hurled herself forward. She saw the portal pull her back a bit before she stumbled forward. When she looked behind her, the portal and the department of mystery had just disappeared in a hazy snap.

Ahead of her, the boy was already reaching the stairs. The moment his foot landed on the first step, the stairs slid away to a different landing out of Tonks' reach. Tonks made to follow, but her own stairs swerved to the right, taking her to a different landing.

The floor she reached was two floors lower than the boy.

"Hang the bloody staircases!" She decided to use the regular stairs in the east wing to reach him. She was running again to reach him from the other landing on the spiral staircase.

When she reached the bend she met the person that she least expected to see in her working hours. Tonks hit the breaks to her foot when she recognized who it was, before she could crash right into him.

It was Remus Lupin.

In his drab excuse for a robe and tattered suitcase juggling some of his parchment in his hands in a common mundane day. When he saw the person approaching him, he looked at her with hard confusion.

She skidded to a stop, barely making it, without banging right into him. Tonks bounced back from the floor. She went past him and looked through the vast open staircase again, searching vainly. But she knew for a fact that it was already too late. He was far too gone.

"Nymphadora, what are you doing here?"

"Gone. The boy is gone!"


	3. The Merville Project

Tonks reported back to HQ empty-handed, knowing full well that Kingley's livid face would be waiting for her when she arrive.

When she stepped inside the building, things have quieted down for a bit. Robert was traicing her hand over the damaged passageway.

The fire had already been put off. People were already cleaning up the burnt debris. They looked at the room now. Or rather, of what's left of it. Cauldrons and phials lay black and burnt everywhere. The once lofty laboratory now lay in heaps of ashes. On the side of the remains, some of the DepMys team had been reduced into tears.

"It was fiendfire. It took longer to put out," said Kingsley when Tonks opened her mouth to ask.

"How in the blazes did he acquire all our spell passes?" said Robert, kicking the hanging wood of what was left of the door. "How come someone simply waltz himself in and grabs whatever he pleases?"

That was kind of the whole point of security. So people couldn't simply barge in. But Tonks was wise enough not to say that out loud. She could understand his frustrations. The Department of Mysteries were one of the most prestigious Department in the Wizarding community. Only A few people with registered wands could enter. Rooms required access code, Registered wands with levels of access, and anti-polyjuice whole department Is laced and glossed over with all the best and available state of the art (within budget) security protocols, for Merlin's sake!

But even with all these protocols, she had yet to tell them they were outdone by a child. So she told them how he chased him back to Hogwarts and how he got out of the way through the Labirynth of stairs and passages.

Robert looked like livid for a second. Kingsley took over. But he thought beter of it and just demanded. "Well don't just stand there! Get me the bios of all the boys in Hogwarts who fits the description."

.oOo.

Lights flickered yellow across the room. The Aurors stared at each other across the table during the emergency meeting Kingsley called the moment Tonks had gotten back.

"Here." Tonks placed the paper the boy had dropped on the table.

Robert took it and immediately whistled. "Boy knows his trade."

"What was it he exactly took anyway?" asked Tonks.

"He stole the Merville Project."

"Merville Project?" asked Tonks.

"DepMys top-confidential."

When Tonks still raised her eyebrows, Robert conceded to explain further. "It's a research that was first began for the last two years and is nearing its completion. The fact that it was stolen now, could be a big threat to the wizarding world's safety, if it fall over to the wrong hands," said Kingsley.

"From Tonks' description his height and his size, we can assume that the suspect was a fifth year by estimate. Maybe polyjuiced, probably sent by someone, " mused Harry.

"I want someone there. An Auror. In Hogwarts," said Kingsley.

Everyone looked at Tonks.

Tonks looked back at everyone.

Robert started shoving the papers towards her. "These are the bios of our suspects. Your job is to take them all into your confidence so you can gather information and get all those research back. "

"It will take three days to set up a new identity. The rest, Tonks can blend in with the crowd," said Harry.

"We'll have her as a transferee student from Beauxbatons, then she can be a very trademark porcelain doll blonde," said Robert. I want a bomb shell," he tried to explain it with his hands "I want a-"

Tonks protested. "What is with you and your stereotypes? Next time, you'll have me dance like a can-can with only a hoola as a dress. I want to at least go with violet hair."

"Tonks could seduce all the boys of those age until they spill the beans," Robert continued, seemingly unable to hear her.

"Hang on, I did not say anything about Tonks going there," said Kingsley cutting all their ministrations and plans with another air of irritation in his voice. "And no Tonks, you can't. For the love of Merlin, you can't wear violet hair!"

"You're confusing me," said Tonks.

Kingsley's frown became more pronounced. "No Tonks inside Hogwarts. And you can't wear your hair Violet during undercover. It must be worn blonde. What part of it escaped your understanding?"

"Don't be daft Kingsley, Tonks always gets sent to mission like this. She could just transform into a Veela and get it over with. We'll have the boy locked up and obliviated in no time," said Robert.

"I'll think about it. Adjourned." Kingsley went out, slamming the door a bit in his wake.

.oOo.

Kingsley sat at his desk, frowning over a piece of parchment that was reported to him. There was a knock at the door. He waived his hand lazily for it to open.

When he saw Tonks enter the room, his frown became more pronounced. "Oh, it's you."

"What's going on Kingsley? Robert said you called me?" Tonks stood before the Head of Aurors office. "Sh-should I go out?" Tonks said hesitantly after his apparently warm welcome.

Kingsley roughly gestured her to sit.

"Look at this." he shoved the paper to Tonks.

Tonks raised her eyebrow as she scanned the contents of the file.

Uncomfortable silence to which Tonks scratched her head trying hard to look concerned and confused to offer her consolation to his predicament.

"I want you to find that boy Tonks. I want you inside. Infiltrate them and find out who's behind it." After all his theatrics, Tonks was the chosen Auror for the job, that much was certain. All infiltration jobs belong to her. "You always blend in naturally. Nobody in their right minds would even suspect you're an Auror." It was such good advantage, but the way Kingsley said it was as if they were going to waterloo with only her knickers on.

"Then what's the problem?" asked Tonks. Deciding not to ponder if his last statement was an insult or a compliment.

"Hogwarts. We can't assign you because Remus is there."

"That's not a problem at all. We used to go to missions together, and it turned out fine. Do you remember that time when you had me posed as a flirt to get a death-eater, then I had to dance in the centre and seduce him just to get under the table information?"

"Yes, and to think that was before you started flirting with him. Merlin, he used to be calm and collected, instead of insisting on safety and dignity and all those nonsense."

"But it turned out fine anyway, right?" insisted Tonks.

"Yes, I also know how that mission ended, thank you very much," said Kingsley irritably.

Tonks shrugged. "Is this is the time I pretend to be as gloomy as you?"

"Never mind it."

"Alright!" Tonks smiled wide. "Kingsley, this is absolutely amazing."

Kingsley looked at her as if abhorring the fact that he was making her happy. "Behave properly Tonks, or I will take this assignment from you and give it to somebody else."

"O." Tonks rolled her eyes.

"Alright! I know you're the only Metamorphagus here and your personality fits with it very well. But your husband is in Hogwarts and it may compromise the mission," said Kingsley.

"But you have no choice, because I'm the one most fit for the job." supplied in Tonks.

"No one is to be told. Even the staff are suspect suppliers. You are the Auror sent to investigate this case. And I will grade your performance. If you do so much as to quirk an eyebrow, you're going straight back to paperwork, Mrs. Lupin, and you can say goodbye to the sun. I will take the case myself," Kingsley raised his voice," even if it meant taking all the polyjuice potion stocks with me just to bring the culprits down. Now, do I hear myself clear?" He looked menacing, but his threats were hollow.

"Yes sir! Track down the thief, protect the school. Got it." said Tonks with an air of professional mock obedience.

"Merlin. I must be going crazy to agreeing to this," he threw his hands up in frustration. "Now get out of here, before I change my mind!"

.oOo.

That night, when Tonks curled beside him in bed after telling her party that she was going somewhere very far, Remus lay more silent than before.

"Is there something wrong?" Tonks would usually say. But since Remus would inevitably reply that there was nothing wrong, she decided to change her tactics.

"I never asked you if I should agree to this."

"Well, what do you think?"

"Should I tell Kingsley tomorrow that you don't agree?" asked Tonks.

"We can do no such thing. Kingsley is probably in a tight spot. I can't demand from him after all he did to pass the werewolf legislations."

"Are you worried?" asked Tonks cautiously.

Remus put a hand to his eyes. "What are you exactly going to do there?"

"For sanity's sake, let's just say it's confidential. I'm not allowed to tell you anything."

"Is this going to be like that scene in _that_ bar?" There was a tinge of anger in his voice.

Tonks uncurled his fist and kissed him to stop him from talking. "I also can't tell you that, honey. For sanity's sake."


	4. In Hogwarts where my Heart Lies

A fifth year transferee student. From Beauxbatons. Kingsley's got to be kidding. Fifth years were the most insufferable gits to ever walk on this castle. High enough to step on someone, but not high enough to mature and have some respect for others despite their positions. Make her a Beauxbaton transferee was just plain overkill. She was stuck with them for Lord knows how long. She began her death march towards the first class.

Just last night she told her two boys she was going to be assigned to somewhere very far. The island of Tahiti to be exact. Remus was not very happy with the prospect of a lot of beach boys. But overaall she thought they took it pretty well. She saw Teddy this morning in the great hall eating the sandwich they made last night. Remus was not on the staff seat. Since Tonks told him he was far too old to sulk, he was just probably walking in the woods.

She was walking towards her new class when she noticed a girl fidgeting at the door. The girl was on the point of holding the door handle to swing it forward. Only to change her mind on the last minute. Her hands withdrew limply to her side just inches before she could touch the knob.

Other people went past her to enter the door so she went inconspicuously to the side of the wall.

She was alone again.

She sighed.

Tonks went forward, but before she could approach the girl, another girl with short raven hair went to her.

"Peggy."

"Yes Alice, "

"Get inside, you'll be late."

"Yes Alice."

She scanned the expanse of the room, and decided to settle to an inconspicuous seat near the back.

.oOo.

Peggy Price was a student who had few friends. Only these selected friends had the high privilege of talking to her: Serenity Gertrude Blythe and Alice Forster. The others were not quite so lucky. Her extremely curly hair was not helping either. It was so curly and bushy that back in muggle school, people have been teasing and calling her a witch. And it hurt. Now at least in this new society, there was an improvement. It didn't matter when people called her witch anymore. Because it was apparently true.

So it was that she went to her classes just like any ordinary day, that is, with a dreadful knot in her stomach as she approached the room.

Alice had already taken her usual place in one corner of the room which must have already been branded with her name. Her desk being in the corner, she would levitate it closer to the wall corner still, and there she would do Merlin knows what things. If she was in that mode, people would do good to best stay clear of her because there would be an unknown verbatim of "do not disturb this corner" if you so much as get near the de facto radius. It must be because of the aura, or maybe just the icing charm she placed on the whole surroundings near her corner if you got near.

In front of them, some students was marching up and down with their loud voices whatever they wanted to say. Some were singing opera (Peggy caught some of the lyrics, something along the lines of, "like fire, hell fire..."). Chalk scrapping run in the background as students found it hard to resist the temptation of doodling on the boards despite teacher's orders to do so otherwise.

Today though, there was something different. There was a transfer student. From Beauxbatons too! Everyone always gets interested with a transfer student from Beauxbatons. They were the prim and proper. They wore corsets even in their sleep. Gentle and quiet spirits that dance ballets when they walk ... Just like Serenity Gertrude Blythe.

But When Peggy finally settled in her seat, she was surprised that the new girl was sitting beside her.

"Wotcher!"

Peggy was quite taken aback by her warm greeting.

"Are you the new transfer student?"

"Violet Sharp," she held out her hand.

Peggy stared at it.

"What's wrong?" said Violet.

"I I don't know," said Peggy.

"What Peggy probably want to say is, perhaps it is normal for a normal person to greet another normal person like that. But seeing that she is not one of those normal people, what you did was an unexpected behavior, " said a raven-haired girl on her right, who was busy typing in a thin box on her desk.

"What did I exactly do?" asked Violet.

"You greeted her," said the girl.

Violet raised her eyebrow. "But I just greeted you. It wasn't that particularly nice. It's what a normal chap would do."

"Exactly."

"Don't mind if you don't understand half of what Alice says so much. I don't even half-understand them myself," said Peggy to her left.

"Hello," Serenity Gertrude Blythe made a slight bow to greet them properly. She was wearing a neat and pressed jumper, and her hair was combed properly, it fell on her shoulders lank. "I'm Serenity Gertrude Blythe. Welcome to Hogwarts."

Tonks took her sight up and down. Peggy also looked. It made her aware of a loose thread on her jumper and one or two strand of hair loose in her own head. She was, Peggy would tell later, "Laces and laces and petticoats with not a thread or a strand of hair out of place." which in turn would make her wipe her hands (which she noticed was dirty all of a sudden) on her jumper and attempt to make her hair go flat.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Violet Sharp," said Violet.

"I heard you were from Beauxbatons. My pa wanted me to go there too, so I could be properly educated, but ma didn't want me far from home. Did they still have keep those fire roses in their garden? I got to visit there once on a trip, and my cousins were really sorry I couldn't stay there for good."

"Oh. I haven't really noticed, sorry. The garden was so huge, I could barely have time to tour it round."

"How," said Serenity confused, "could you not have time to view a garden?"

Violet shrugged. "Duty calls, time-budget cuts."

"Well, I'm sure you can find time to visit in the future. Surely, it can be negotiable." Serenity frowned a little bit, "Peggy's right, you know, you would be able to listen and learn properly if you were closer to the front," said Serenity.

"I'd just stay here thanks, " said Violet.

Serenity did not seem very pleased with the idea but she did not say anything. She smiled amiably again then went away, just like a politician.

Peggy watched Violet as she looked around. From the room full of the usual tableau for students, lounging about, talking nonsensical it would be hard to believe it would be the next generation of leaders, instead of just a bunch of midgets waiting for their next class.

"What are you looking at?" said Peggy, following her gaze. She was looking at Alice. Or rather, the boy that was on his knees and apparently begging her for something.

"Mr. Willis, you had the audacity to send this ridiculous letter that you had to hand it down to Peggy in order to give it to me. Get out of my way, or I will be forced to override school rules and use force," said Alice, her short raven hair falling limply on her shoulders.

"Please, please, please, give me a chance," said the boy. Ice had gone to form on her desk.

"Dearest Alice." the boy's eyes widened in mortification as Alice recited his letter dryly. "Ever since I saw you, I was already in love. If you only knew, I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep just by thinking of you. Every time you pass by the common room, I am always happy to see your raven black hair, If you could just come down from your dormitory on a Saturday night, maybe we could meet."

Alice's eyes flashed irritation and a tinge of amusement. She covered her mouth to keep a straight face, but a slight smirk had already escaped from it.

"This is by far the most irritating, idiotic letter I have ever set my eyes on. If I only knew what? About your feelings of not being able to eat and sleep? You don't need to see me. You need to see Madam Pomfrey."

"But it's because of love." The walls was now also been covered with ice. Underneath the chair, icicles were drip-dripping slowly to the floor.

"Look, love is all good and well. Even if it's just oxytocin production you could feel when meeting any random nice person who can commend themselves to your liking, but if you are really intent upon this useless endeavor, I must ask you to submit a Curriculum Vishay, a report on your assets and liabilities on the things that you deem to not be confidential, and an essay report on your emotional and psychological state of strengths and weaknesses. See if we could work it out. You can also add your copy of grades so I can get a look on the subjects that you've already taken and how many units you have already earned. So I could see what sort of topics we can discuss over. See if at least you are fit for me to spend at least five minutes of my precious idle time on having a conversation with you."

The boy tilted his head. He did not even understand half of the things she was saying….

"Otherwise, you just have to admit that our correlation coefficient is not enough to even consider a 30 second allotment in the processing in our brains.."

"Why do I have a feeling that you are trying to scrutinize him for hiring?" said Violet.

Alice chuckled. "No. That would be ridiculous. He would not even be permitted inside my building's premises, let alone hire him."

Alice finally went passed him. When Alice turned her back, Peggy edged near the boy. "Here's your jumper. I know she can be cold sometimes. Just don't take it to heart. She's a person who can't tolerate stupidity. I know, I'm staying away myself."

"Y...you're kidding.. right?" said the boy shivering.

"Peggy," Alice snapped her finger.

"Yes, boss!" Peggy went over to her side as quick as a PA would if her boss snapped her finger. "Hold out your hand," said Alice as a morning greeting. She obeyed, and Alice clamped a bracelet to her.

"What is this?" asked Peggy.

"It's a bracelet that has a watch underneath. It's very convenient and it will save the buyer money, so instead of buying a bracelet and a watch, she can just have both."

"Oh, amazing," said Peggy, shaking the bracelet rings on her finger.

Alice tried to stay her hand. Not quickly enough. "Don't shake it, it's-"

Her instruction came too late. They already disappeared and appeared on different parts of the room.

Alice shot her an annoyed look, and said sharply, "It's a portkey that transports you a few paces from where you are. For people who are always running late. Now you just charged 50 knuts on my transportation bills!"

"Don't shake it. Got that," said Peggy, panting from the ride.

But when a prim woman went inside, the room's noise and all-out shenanigans immediately stopped as if in a turned off radio. Her hair was knotted tightly in a bun behind her back and she wore a cardigan and smart slacks with matching spike heels.

"My name is Emma Williams and I will be teaching you muggle studies. Mr. Stevens, please refrain from playing with the handle of that muggle contraption. It took us a lot of permits just to get that here," she smiled kindly.

"But it's so ridiculous professor! They have this thing to make ice when all you have to do is cast a freezing charm."

Mrs. Williams nodded. "Muggles are helpless creatures. Almost everyone had to depend on big contraptions in substitute for their sustenance to supplement their lack of magic."

Peggy knew that Alice would be far from agreeing to the muggle studies Professor because of her face. She was frowning but I think she thought it impractical to interrupt and enforce her opinions for no gain. And so the teacher went on about how muggles was able to produce more food by making more complicated plow. Though the muggle's new toys were impressive, as it is, it remains simply as toys to the superior civilization of the wizarding world. And so the teacher went on about how muggles.

She could see Alice tapping her feet which she did when she was usually impatient. "This is a ridiculous class," said Alice. "This kind of indoctrination is going to make them vulnerable and open to attacks, the moment that the statue of secrecy gets leaked."

"Aren't you a witch too?"

"Darling, I'm a muggle-born who happens to be a witch. I am not a witch who happens to be a muggle-born," said Alice.

"Then I am too!" said Peggy. "But the wizards are strong and mighty. Nothing stands in their way."

"Yeah. But I always sometimes feel that a small battering would tear this world apart until it has gone to the dogs, before it could come out again to learn from its mistakes." said Alice. "They are growing in such a small pace. They are stuck because there was no need to learn makeshift things. They were not pressured by scarcity and survival for their knowledge to grow."

"They have magic," said Peggy.

"Let's see if it saves them then," answered Alice smugly. She did not know how true her simple words could become in the near future. Because like her classmates, she was only also thinking and looking forward to their next class which will not be irritating. Because it was the DADA subject that everyone loved.

They were waiting for their next class when Tonks saw Alice fumbling and musing with her wand. "If the wand responds by using Latin words, why on earth didn't Hogwarts just have a subject to teach students the Latin language, instead of having us memorize a mountain of spells?"

Tonks looked questioningly at her other seatmate across them.

"Muggleborn," Peggy shrugged as an explanation.

"I believe we have not properly been introduced. My name is Alice. Alice Forster" said Alice, holding out her hand. "Pleasure to meet you.

"Nice to meet you. And I'm-" said Violet.

"Miss Violet Sharp of the Gryffindor Department. the new transfer student from Beauxbatons." said Alice. Tonks was surprised. And impressed. One glance at this young girl with glasses and straight raven hair that reached only up to her shoulders told her Ravenclaw.

"It was nice to make your acquaintance, but we have to go." Alice tugged Peggy's robes and motioned towards the door and disappeared . When Peggy looked back, she saw Violet also going out of the room.

Violet saw them stop short on a hallway corner, apparently hiding. Alice carried with her a notebook and she took down notes while Peggy hid behind her and tried to look over her shoulders, apparently hiding. Alice carried with her a notebook and she took down notes while Peggy hid behind her and tried to look over her shoulders.

Tonks looked over Alice's notes.

Expose: The life and times of the tightly-laced Professor R. J. Lupin.

War hero Remus John Lupin along with the Order of the Phoenix had made a name for himself after the defeat of You-Know-Who. He holds a vote in the Wizengamot and had published a handful of research on his own condition of Lycanthropy. Apart from that, he is now the staunch supporter of Werewolf rights. It had been his advocacy for as long as the public can remember. With the advent of Wolfsbane now released from patent, it had become more accessible to large number of the population. Werewolves have since used their skill in the military just as You-Know-Who had originally propositioned. Their resistance to magic and increased strength had made them the right people used for guard for security and law enforcement jobs. And as werewolf vaccine had also been invented (why they did not just borrow that idea from the muggle world long time ago, I have no idea), shielding people from becoming werewolves even if they are bitten, people had become more tolerant to hiring them as guards. Indeed, as of now that the wolf properties can be controlled, being a werewolf has gone so far as to be regarded as an asset in some few cases.

While such a man held power, he chose to stay as a professor in Hogwarts because of his passion in teaching. But what people doesn't know is that Professor Remus John Lupin…

Theory # 1: He sneaks into a hidden lair full of chocolates and he's too ashamed to tell anyone of his unhealthy addiction.

Theory # 2: He's secretly gay and he's allegedly cheating on his wife over Sirius Black.

Violet looked to see what they were gazing at. "Hey, What are you doing?" Peggy abruptly put a stop to her thoughts when Violet's voice spoke suspiciously. From their position across the terrace beyond the window, Professor Lupin was sipping his morning tea and was hiding behind the newspaper.

"Nothing." Alice closed her noted abruptly.

"I'm getting suspicious here. You're all stalkers. Wait. Is that a tabloid article you're writing?" Violet snapped at them.

"No we are not," said Peggy indignantly, "and no, it's not."

"Yes it is! You're hiding behind the corridor and you're following a certain professor. You're more vicious for juicy information than Rita Skeeter on her day off."

"Girls? Is something the matter?" said a deep husky voice on their left.

And Tonks knew perfectly well who it belonged to.


	5. Community Emmersion

"Girls, is something the matter?" he asked them.

Professor Lupin was in front of them, probably on his way to their class when he noticed the students in front of him seemingly in a heated argument.

"No Professor. We were just about to go to your class to ask if we could get a permission to practice your spells on the lake. Where some of the creatures you want us to fight would be found in their natural habitats," explained Alice calmly.

"Hmm." Lupin was thoughtful. "Yes. That's an excellent idea. I suppose that's five points to Ravenclaw. But let's make it a practical class. I need to be there in case something happens."

And just like that, they had walked out of the encounter alive, and they lived another day to enjoy his stimulating class. They followed him towards the classroom.

"Do you always get out of trouble being like that?" whispered Violet at a fair distance from the professor.

"Of course," replied Alice.

"Why?"

"Why not?"

"Teacher's pet," hissed Violet. "I will never ever succumb to using such tactics."

Alice smiled at her and looked at her from head to foot. "And what exactly is your tactic then? Is it seduction?"

"I'll earn my way fair and square." In front of her, Alice's face twitched a bit. "And never admit to using covert tactics," Violet grinned.

Alice understood. "Seduction it is."

Presently, they arrived in the designated classroom and took their seats while Professor Lupin started to scann the expanse of the room like a panorama in one sweep.

Expectant faces stared at him in unison, eager to learn. Some were not keen on hiding their lack of enthusiasm, some are sitting like behaved little angels no doubt, trying to reach the title for the best teacher's pet, some are- hold right there. He went back to look on a person in the middle. He looked straight into a student who was grinning like a Cheshire cat after the queen just got beheaded because of her hair colour.

He raised his eyebrows and directed a question at her. "Violet Sharp, am I correct? The new transferee student from Beauxbatons?"

The new girl grinned even more and bobbed her head a bit as in answer. That was... strange. "Very well for the start of our lessons. Let us begin-" he waived his wand once and a patronous shot out of it even without incantation, basking the whole room in light in one forward sweep across the room, leaving the students in awe. And thus began their lesson. Which was about patrounuses, in case someone missed that.

"Expecto Patronum!"

"Expecto Patronum!"

Everyone was shouting at the top of their lungs after just a few haphazard instructions Lupin was able to give them. Now however, he was just trying to put in words between their pathetics swishing. That is, in case anybody felt the need to pause with their superior hand-casting. A myriad of misty shapes filled the room in light touches.

"Well done, class." said professor Lupin.

Peggy brushed the thick curly hairs off her face and stance to cast. Her patronous smiled in front of her after a couple of tries. It was a gnome. Professor Lupin walked over to her and said it was good. And gave her points.

She could hear the boys laughing behind her saying it looked like its owner. Her stomach went on somersault: not the good one. Maybe all patrounuses were supposed to look like their owners. She didn't know yet if they really did though, because the others haven't produced their patrounuses yet.

Violet Sharp, the transferee student, produced only a mist too. It sort of look like a huge clear mist, Peggy thought she saw a little bit of hairiness but it wasn't solid enough. Classmates near them looked over because hers was bigger and brighter, so Violet sniggered and made her patronous twirl with her wand like a sundae. People began to crowd over Violet.

Before it could turn tangibly solid, it hit professor Lupin square in the back and disintegrated. He was still looking over Serenity's work when he turned around after being hit.

"Who touched me?" said Lupin. "Who touched me with a patronous charm?"

"Uhm sir, Who isn't touching you? Everyone's patrounuses are colliding with everyone else."

"No. This one is different." said Lupin. "This one was solid and had power."

"I saw it. It was Violet's patronous," Peggy blurted.

Lupin smiled kindly. "Well then Miss Violet, would you kindly show us a solid patronous so you can show the class what quality they should produce?" said Lupin.

Violet shrugged. "No can do sir. I'm not that good."

"Nonsense." said Lupin. "I know a perfectly corporeal patronous when I see- erm feel one. Don't be shy Miss Violet. Show us."

"Expecto Patronum.." she whispered, so silent her bum was the only one who heard, she was hoping it would not work. But she was not even finished whispering when a white light shot outside her wand. Not as a soft mist but so huge with such force and speed it was as bright as thunder.

"Excellent," said Lupin. "Now I'm afraid I will require you to produce something more solid."

"I'm afraid I'm still not that good," said Violet, looking him eye to eye. She did not blink.

Lupin smiled softly. "If you want to hide the form of your patronous, I will not force you."

When the professor turned his back, Peggy heard her let out a relieved sigh. Out of the corner of her eye, Peggy saw her looking at the professor oddly. Her face was twisting in a suppressed amusement. Professor Lupin did not seem to notice because his attention was back to Serenity who was asking if she was doing her wand movement right. When he turned to glace back at Violet, who kept a neutral face.

"Okay class, that's it for today." Professor Lupin finally said when the bell rang. He packed his case at the end of their class, ready dismiss after practical lessons on their combat skills.

.oOo.

Her first day inside the dormitory, Violet made it a point to socialize and be amiable. So she got to the stairs down to the common room.

On her left, she could vaguely hear a seventh year telling Peggy off about the water she spilled on the floor. Peggy was apologising profusely for knocking over a glass of water to a seventh year. The seventh year was irritable, telling her to clean it up in icy tones.

Serenity was the first to approach her and shake her hand. To ask her if she could join their weekly support group meeting. To which Violet declined. Serenity smiled at her, unfazed.

Laurence Fetcher. That boy on the corner of the common room. She needed to gain his friendship and confidence. Doing a final retouch for her hair, she went down to her prey. She needed to make an impression.

Casually moving towards his direction, she tipped the water beside his table. It went tumbling down to his homework. Then she went away as if she hadn't noticed.

Three… two.. One.

"Hey!" He yelled. He took the bait.

"What were you doing knocking water on my sheets?!" came his angry voice.

Violet turned around. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't notice." The moment she turned around, the boy's face was first confused, then any signs of anger vanished on his face.

(Somewhere on the background, Peggy was being ordered to get a mop to clean up her mess. )

"You're Violet Sharp," said the boy.

"So I am. Are you going to bully me for spilling water on your homework?" she raised her eyebrow threateningly.

"Nah, I can do a clean-up charm and it'll be as good as new," said a boy. There were at least a dozen boys who would have fit the description of the one she was looking for, but this would be a start. "That was really badass what you did there back there."

Violet snorted. "What, you mean the patrounous? It was lame."

The boy shrugged. "I dunno. It was interesting enough. But you know what's more interesting?"

"What?"

"You," and he smiled.

Violet raised her eyebrow and shot her worst scrutinizing look. "What's your name?" asked Violet.

"Laurence Fetcher but you can call me Laurie. Here, as a sign on our friendship, I'm letting you try this one."

"What is it?" she said curiously.

"It's called an iPhone. You put this in your head like this and-"

"Whoa! This is really good! You put weird sisters song in here? How did you know I was a fan?"

"Uhm, you're wearing a black weird sisters tee...?"

Violet laughed. "Of course! Am I that obvious?"

"No."

"You prepared for this first meeting did you?" said Violet.

He shrugged. "Didn't have to." Then he added. "Am I that obvious?"

"No."

"Okay, I'll let you have that for the evening. I'm going back to finish my homework. Enjoy," he backed away and gave her one smile, she ccouldn't quite decide if it was bordering to sardonic or nice, then headed for one of the study tables.

Nice kid. Responsible and not drab. He's one of my targets. She heard he tune in the piece of thing on her ear. The iPhone was playing "A Hogwarts Hypogriff ride", and so taken up was she on the music that when the sentinel at the door of their dormitory yelled, "The Hokages are coming! Clear your areas!", she was not able to follow the tide.

Everyone panicked, screamed, sat themselves in the chair pretending to be doing something ridiculously important. Then, the inevitable footsteps came tapping, slowly getting louder and nearer.

Everyone held their breath. Except for Violet who didn't hear a thing because she was playing punk rock songs on the new muggle contraption.

"Ms. Sharp," he said softly.

"Oh yeah baby, Rock Hard," said Violet, doing a head-bang with her hair. Remus caught more words about hallway duels and sneaking outside for a hippogriff rides.

"Ms. Sharp!"

Remus took off the headphones.

"Hypogriffs!" she swore.

"You are aware that the curfew of this dormitory is 10 pm?" said Remus.

Violet stared. She just stared. Remus was in front of her in his displeased soft face. "Y.. you're face is very authoritarian..." she managed to mutter.

"Then I am sure you will not have a hard time obeying. Detention." Then put detention slips on the table. "Saturday, 3:00 pm. Sharp."

Other students looked away in pity. It was a Hogsmeade Saturday. But even so, Violet Sharp did not falter under his gaze. Nor did she blink when she was told she was to spend her day cleaning.

.oOo.

At 3 pm that Saturday, a girl would have been seen running towards professor Lupin's office. Actually, she coyldn't be seen. Everyone who was likely to see her was off to Hogsmeade. Except maybe some stray souls who were unfortunate enough to not have a permission slip, cursed to spend their time on dictating letters instead.

She gave a sighed relief and took in a sharp breath before she knocked at the door.

There was a knock at the door. No it wasn't a knock, it was an impatient rap as if someone from the outside was always hurrying to get things done.

"Come in," said Lupin.

The door burst open with such force and an out of breath Miss Sharp appeared.

Violet entered the room.

Serenity Gertrude Blythe was seated on the right side of the seat, her face furrowed in concentration over a piece of parchment.

The room was quiete and neat. Books were arranged on neat piles, and the furniture and rugs with were not new, but was proper.

Tonks ran an absent hand on the rough texture of the sofa. It would be quite comfy here now that winter was coming in a few weeks.

The carpet, just like every carpet Remus had laid eyes to, were clean and smelled of lemon soap. Of course there was an ink spot underneath that area, but when Tonks said they buy a new one, Remus said they should spend carefully and just cover it with the furniture drawer. Classic Remus. Anyway, she was just glad enough to share in his knowledge of householdy spells.

The whole office was basked with a lazy afternoon sun kind of which you'd love to get a nap in, especially if your choice of pillow was your professor's lap. Maybe apparate over to the benches of the forest instead or lay a mat there to watch the falling leaves.

For a second, Tonks was tempted to go near him and smell his clothes that no doubt smelled of soap too (and maybe do more than just sniffing). She had almost stretched her hand forward when she remembered herself.

"Good evening Professor. I came here for my detention."

Lupin nodded. "The bucket is over there." Then as an afterthought, he added,"You don't have to be afraid of me. This is just detention."

Violet also nodded.

"Hello Serenity," Violet said cheerfully to her direction on the table. "Are you here in detention too?" (Guess I was wrong. There are more things you could do than just dictating letters.)

"No," Serenity smiled. "I came here to train for the regional Defence Duel held this November." She got back to her parchment. Remus himself had a pile of papers on his side he was scribbling notes in.

"Riight. Of course." said Tonks, tilting her head a little bit in acknowledgement. "You probably want to be an Auror too when you grow up, if that's your favourite subject. I also want to go there too, when I graduate."

"Of course. But I heard they only accept the best." said Serenity.

"Miss Sharp, do you always find it necessary to run?" said Lupin.

"Err, no sir, but it makes things go faster, and it saves time and acts as exercise."

"Here is the bucket and the cloth. You can start wiping the floor." Violet went to get it, only for her to spill the whole contents to the floor.

"Sorry," she said without any sign of remorse. "I really didn't mean that."

Lupin sighed. "Are you perhaps related to the Tonks family?" He bent down to fix the rug with his superior evanesco spell. Tonks took this as an opportunity to steal a sniff off the back of his soapy clothes.

"Never heard of them. Why'd you ask, sir?" said Violet.

"Nothing. It's just that my wife is also fond of dull monosyllabic names like yours that she actually want our next daughter to be named Violet." He stifled a laugh to hide his bemusement. "What a thing to think." he mumbled.

Tonks looked positively revolted. "You think the name Violet is funny?"

"Oh, Very sorry if that offended you, Violet. Pretend I did not say that," said Lupin.

"What names would you want then?" she said. "Professor." she added hastily.

"Hmm. Now that I think about it. Serenity, Gertrude and Blythe are all good names. Anything that my wife hates is bound to be a good one."

"Hkk." Tonks made a face and opened her mouth to argue about admitting about thinking about divorce but Serenity cut her off.

"Professor, did I answer this part correctly?" said Serenity. Lupin moved his head down from Violet to pay attention to the parchment being held to him. Violet was ordered to begin wiping the walls and the floor with the wet cloth, while he coached Serenity over the next hour.

When the curfew bells rung, Professor Lupin told Serenity that the work was done for today, and she left the office. But he made no sign that Violet also ought to pack up, and just continued to sit in his desk.

"Professor," she croaked.

Another knock on the door interrupted her.

"Good day Kingsley," said Lupin.

Kingsley looked at Tonks and nodded approvingly before turning his attention to Lupin.

"Good evening Remus, I trust that Tonks new arrangement had suited the family well?"

Lupin frowned while he continued to examine and flip some papers . "You mean the fact that you sent her to the island of Tahiti and she could only go home on the weekends? I don't think that suited anyone."

Kingsley cocked his head to Tonks' direction looking confused for a second then finally understood the meaning of his sentence after looking at Tonks' inaudible secret messages. She was waving her hands frantically behind Lupin's back. _Don't tell him._

"I uh, am very sorry for that, but I just came here to tell you that you have nothing to worry about. The ministry has found a way to get to the bottom of the matter. An overall investigation is happening as we speak. I can't tell you anymore details, it's erm.. Very confidential…?(he wasn't sure when he said that part about confidential)."

"I'm glad to hear there's an ongoing progress. I will investigate myself to see if I could be of some help. By the way, who is the ministry official assigned so I can coordinate with them in the investigation."

"No, no need for name-dropping." Kingsley waived his hand to dismiss the concern on his last statement. "However, if no progress happens in two weeks (emphasis directed for Tonks), we will have to take more drastic measures."

"Thank you for taking this seriously. It may compromise the school if this goes unchecked."

Kingsley was silent. He was trying very hard to keep his face straight. Tonks and him both looked at each other for a split second and made their attempts on staying undercover, or staying pranking Lupin, whatever definition suits. Then he finally let out a guffaw. Remus looked even more confused.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Remus," said Kingsley with a little difficulty. He was leaning on a side-table for support, not yet finished laughing. "It's just that it's hard to look at your face always looking so serious. Hahaha."

"Kingsley, have you been taking some of those contraband potions as well?" said Remus.

"Remus, Remus. You're always so serious. Tell me, when was the last time you had a joke? Do you even know how to crack a joke?"

"Of course I can crack a joke." At this, Tonks laughed so hard, but stopped and masked it in a fit of cough when Lupin gaze bore on her.

And with that, Kingsley was gone.

.oOo.

When Violet climbed inside the portrait, chocolate still hanging from her mouth as her apparent price for being slave-driven on wiping the floors, Serenity Gertrude Blythe was sitting in one of the study tables. "Where have you been? It's already past curfew," said Serenity.

"I was with Professor Lupin."

"Oh, I remember you had detention," said Serenity.

She was going to retort, but then she noticed the culprit of the night. "You!" She pointed a finger at Laurence. "You did that on purpose!"

"Sorry" he smiled as an apology. "But really, I just couldn't help it! You were the new kid. If you were in my position, you'd be tempted too. You did not even know that the professor usually comes at ten to check if we haven't set the house on fire. You're not those sensitive types, yeah?"

Violet laughed. "I accept your apology. That was a prank well done. Professor Lupin would be so proud of you."

"Professor Lupin?" Laurie tilted his head.

"Erm, if he ever gets to be cunfunded. But as of now, what would he exactly do?"

"He'd kill me and eat his exotic chocolate collection while at it. Then he would insist discipline to be written in our foreheads like a dark mark."

Violet burst out laughing. "Sounds legit."

Laurence smiled. "That's what I like about you, Violet Sharp." His eyes were twinkling.

"But you better be ready. Carrying bags is not the only thing you'll end up doing. You've no idea what you got yourself into," said Violet.

Serenity looked warily at them. Some people just did not know the meaning of duty. It's a good thing Professor Lupin knows how to keep things in control. Sad to say, it was not the only thing that Serenity Gertrude Blythe got wrong.


	6. The Lupin Fan Club

Nymphadora Tonks had just baked some brownies and was on her way to Lupin's office. The brownies, was thankfully looking edible this time, and she had worked so hard on making the best-shaped frosting- all slapdash of course, but with a wand that was a portable tool that could function as a can-opener, whip, and stirrer, it wasn't as if it was time-consuming. All in all, she was quite happy with the idea that she was being motherly and wifey and she was going to fuss around and take care of her two boys by indulging them in her chocolate desert cooking. She grinned at her own genius of utilizing Snape's bunsen burner under his nose, and not bothering to make an effort to not get caught because, well, who cares?

She was walking in the hallway just before she reached the office when a bunch of girls came up to her. It was her classmates she just saw yesterday. Them again.

It was then that they both noticed Violet clutching a box of brownies. They noticed the box in Tonks' hand they immediately concluded, "Are those for professor Lupin?"

"Well, err, yeah, " said Violet. The girls looked at the box, and then looked at Tonks.

"Snooping on us when you yourself was doing it. That's just mean," said Peggy, shaking her head.

"We commend your bravery, and because of that, we are going to help you," said Alice. "It would take us about-" she looked at her watch "-12 minutes. Peggy."

"Yes boss!", Peggy grabbed the box. "That box wouldn't do." She tapped the box and it transformed into a fancy one, with folds and neat boundary lines. It took her no time to conjure a red ribbon and tie it in the most efficient manner.

"You're going to confess your love, or are you just going to drop it off anonymously?" asked Peggy casually.

"Confess my wha-," said Tonks.

"You do know that he's already married right, " said Alice.

"Well, I don't blame you, mate. After all, what choice do you have among our current set of teachers?" Peggy proceeded to place a card on the front of the box that said, "From an admirer, looking at you from afar is enough." And before Tonks could protest, they knocked at the front door of Lupin's office, put the box on the front door, and hid themselves somewhere out of sight. I meant, they covered Tonks' mouth, and dragged/ambushed her to oblivion to join them into hiding.

"Here he comes," whispered Peggy. They were all whispering now.

"Wait, no! I don't want-" said Tonks when she managed to speak from their covering her mouth. Somehow, she was also whispering too.

"Shh, it's too late now."

Professor Lupin opened the door looking from left to right expecting to see some student who was the source of the knocking. His eyes finally caught the bright-laced box of the floor. He picked it up and looked at it as if he was x-raying it with her stoic posture, not betraying any emotions. The girls (including Tonks) all held their breaths for his reaction. Would his lips curl upward with a smile, or would it go down with a frown?

Lupin raised his eyebrow questioningly and closed the door, his eyes still transfixed on the box. All of them (including Tonks) breathed out in relief.

"It's nice doing business with you girls, " Tonks found herself grinning and shaking hands with the lot.

"Welcome to our club, Violet." said Peggy.

"What club?"

"Why the Lupin Fan Club of course."

"Look girls, I'm sorry to disappoint you but I'm Professor Lupin's wife and -" she never got to finish because the girls all now broke into howls of laughter.

"Wife, haha, nice one Violet, " said Peggy, wiping her eyes, and surveying her weird sisters shirt and jagged pants for the second time.

"Daydreaming is not bad, but having illusions is not good signs for a sane rational mind, " commented Alice. "Plus, I don't think you would qualify even as the second mistress."

"Well, we'll see you around," said Peggy.

And they were gone, leaving Tonks with her mouth wide open, in utter loss for words. That was close. Good thing they didn't suspect a thing.

She faintly heard a door open a little far away behind her.

"Miss Sharp, what are you doing outside my office?" said Lupin.

After finally getting away from professor Lupin, by weaving a string of excuses and stories that was bound to have plot-holes here and there, that she tried hard to patch all up, but where he only frowned more in suspicion, she was finally walking back to the dormitory.

"What are you reading?" asked Peggy when she saw Alice immersed in a piece of paper on one of the study tables on the desk.  
"Nothing in particular that concerns you," was Alice's reply.  
It was the agreement contract Laurence had given her.  
Earlier that day, Laurence had come up to her when she was on the way to her next class.  
"I have a proposition for you." said Laurence, intending to have a talk with Alice.  
But Alice had not stopped from walking. "What is it?"  
"You could help me in my research, and I'll give you part of the profits." said Laurence, "What figures are we talking about here? Partnership, merger, or are you merely hiring me as an employee?"  
"A bit of all of the above."  
"You do know the difference right? Or what are you doing here still talking?" but Laurence was undettered. He caught up with her stride, and leaned forward casually.  
"I think I'm worth at least a chunk of your time. Maybe a bit more."  
"Alright, draw up the contract, and I'll look over it."  
"Way ahead of you, Alice. I knew you would want to know the particulars," he handed her a paper.

And now, Alice was looking over it. But it was somehow disconcerting to see his conditions. It said there that she would apparently be obliviated every time she went outside the facility. And would only remember everything once she is inside again.

_...The team had taken special precautions to ensure confidentiality. Memories acquired during the process will be stored and will only be accessed once the person is inside the facility premises..._

_...once the person is out of the room, she will leave behind the vast memory of the facility and forget it. She will only remember it once he or she enters the premises again..._

This was to ensure confidentiality. She went to read the paper again from the top when an owl fluttered to deposit a letter to her lap.

_So? Have you decided yet? -L_

Laurence had scribbled a quick letter that evening. She scribbled a quick reply.

_Yes, but I do have certain things I want put in that contract. - A_

'Know your worth. Your exact worth' her father had told her. It was the basics of contract signing.

An owl also fluttered to where Tonks just sat herself. The letter was from Lupin. She eagerly opened it with high expectations.

Nymphadora,  
I must remind you again that it's your turn to clean the house and do the laundry this weekend. Since, now that I am currently employed, I do not have the same leisure time to fix everything in the house. Please do not let it stack.  
-Remus

"What's that you got there?" said Peggy.  
"Surprisingly sweet love letters before breakfast," answered Violet drably.  
"Everyone seems to have letters but me," said Peggy.

Another owl dropped its letter on her lap.

_Hello Miss Sharp,_  
_You're funny, and cute, and you're also smart. I think we'd get along well._  
_-L_

Oh hang it all, she stuffed the letters in the side-pocket of her bag, which everyone ought to have already labelled trash at some point. She'll deal with laundry later and just head to her favourite person instead.

On one corner of the room, was Teddy, one hand holding the homemade egg sandwich they made this morning, nibbling at it absentmindedly, and the other flipping through the pages of a book to where his head was dipped.

She immediately went beeline towards his direction.

She sat herself in the Gryffindor table beside Teddy. Teddy was surprised and pleased to be spoken to by a higher year, but then he got back to being all gloomy and morose.

"What's wrong Teddy?"

"I miss my mum," was his reply.

Suddenly, something zingged loudly on their right as a wild spell went their way, then Peggy's voice came shouting "Look out!" as she ran towards them in futile attempts to save them from being hit, even though as to how she was going to do it was already out of the question.

Tonks covered Teddy with her arms and pulled both their head down before a spell-gone-wrong hurtled their way.

"Sorry for that. Here at Hogwarts, you don't learn much about calculus or economics. But you do learn how to duck when necessary," said Alice while she dodged right when the spell came her way.

"She said duck!" said Tonks, covering him down again to her lap.

"This is a crazy school!" said the first year.

"No. This is a normal boarding school." Tonks grinned.

"I want my mummy!"

And that was how Violet and Teddy became friends.

Peggy wanted to open her mouth for an apology but Serenity called her, so she just shrugged and gave them an apologetic look instead.

"Peggy, come over here, our weekly meeting is starting," said Serenity.

Peggy scurried over to one corner of the room where a handful of people had gathered in a circle each with a mismatched chair to sit in.

"Nice watch by the way," said Peggy to Serenity when she visibly noticed the band of white in her wrist.  
"Of course. I always prefer simple."  
"She prefers it simple. But classy. If it had any flash and glitters it would hve looked like she was from the poor regions trying hard to look rich," said Alice.  
Serenity frowned at this but just ignored the comment in the end, choosing to address her next words to Peggy instead. "You told me you also had a new watch?"

"Ahh... uhm, " Peggy looked dismally at her own flashy watch and hid her hands to the back. She got the watch out from view indescreetly into one of her pockets. "Naa, I left it upstairs."

Thereby began the (note: matters of extreme importance) speech of Serenity to a bunch of first years.

"Everyone of us have a choice. To become extraordinary, and to rise above the mediocre existence of the rest.  
"We are not like the ordinary people. We are not just hearers of war or the rumors of it. We are the movers. We can change the world if we work together for a common goal."

Tonks listened with growing mortification as she began her sugar-coated speech that would not have sounded amiss during an Auror or Order of the Phoenix recruitment talk.

"You could settle and be comfortable just like the rest of the population, or you can rise above. Are you ready to commit, and not be like the ordinary common people? We are not like the ordinary people. We have the initiative to move mountains, and make things happen."

When she sat herself, she told others it was their turn to speak up, so everyone in the circle would have their turn, and that it should start with Peggy.

"My name is Peggy Price, and I have a problem." she started.

Peggy Price found herself standing in front of a circle of girls all of whom replied "Hullo Peggy," in chorus.

"What's your problem. You can share it with anyone," said one girl.

"My tuition fee is half short. I may get kicked out of Hogwarts by the end of term."

"It's alright Peggy, were here for you," they chorused again.

Peggy sat herself, and the next person stood up and did the same. The next one, (whose name was Cath) made a long speech about her ongoing teenage issues so complicated you could hardly understand the concepts she was trying to get accross. But suppose it was alright because she said she can handle it whatever it was, which probably meant she wil continue to talk about it in the next meeting.  
When it finally ended, Serenity took Peggy aside.  
She caught something along the lines of "-serious about making this into a priority." (Hey, evesdropping was what she was there for. What's your excuse?)

In the middle of it, Peggy suddenly burst into tears. "I'm sorry. I was too tired. We just came from selling all those new merchandise."

"Do not just be a passive member. Some people can't just make time and is not taking this seriously." The naive first years stuck out their chests as if for the first time, they have something to be proud of. It wasn't me, because I am not like them. I am one of the important ones.

"But, but, I have so many homework. I haven't even finished because you called an important meeting yesterday. That means I probably won't sleep this night to finish it off. And I am very tired already," said Peggy.

"Complaining will never get us anywhere. Why do you prioritize making money, over our meeting? You never striked me as a mercenary, Peggy. This is really a dissappointment."

"You see, I had to pay for my tuition or else I would be kicked out," said Peggy, in her efforts to be understood.

"Now, now, I'm sure it would turn out just well. Just believe it will. But to the matter at hand, Manage your time better next time, so it won't end up like this."

"Yes. I'm sorry for being irresponsible."

"Hey wait just hold on there Serenity," Violet pushed back her chair and went over to them. "You can't berate this girl to do what you want. Peggy is a wonderful person. And just because she does not conform to your idea of perfect does not mean you have to discredit her worth."

Behind Violet, Alice had also risen from her chair. "She's right. you don't seem to treat your minions right. Not only is your current employer unapreciative, she also does not care about your current working conditions, nor does she follow the current legislation about them having the rights to complain."

"I am not her employer!"

"Which certainly makes it worst."

"This is not about those legalistic things. You're just knowledgable. But I can sense it that there is something wrong with you. People like you are proud, stuborn, and very hard to teach."

"Yes, your discretion are very marvellous and to be trusted," said Alice icyly.

"Let me handle this." Violet stayed her with a hand. "What she's trying to say is, you're a bitch."

"Violet Sharp, I've had enough of you," said Serenity. "You waltz around flirting shamelessly just in your first day, and getting in detention. One look at you and I could feel that you're one of those cocky and noisy airheads bothering people with their ideas even with their non-existent careers.  
"It's not enough that you've got yourself into detention, you also want to drag the others with you. Don't listen to her Peggy. She's going to lead you blind, you'll barely notice it."

"Alright that's it. You've insulted me enough. I'm out of here, and Peggy will come with me, or else I will raise this issue to our head of house!"

Serenity let out an unladylike laugh. "What are you talking about? The professor would never listen to you."

"Alright. Point taken," said Alice, moving in front of Violet. "Peggy, you've already wasted enough time as it is, we have to start our new enterprise."

"But.. but, they said that I'm a bad person," said Peggy, with tears in her eyes. "I must try to be better..."

"You need to raise enough money for your tuition," Alice said rather impatiently. "Frankly, your situation is very dire.  
"We have to plan our work breakdown structure before Valentines day peak season, or else, the probability of us not making it will be going downhill faster than you can press to pull out your stocks. We are already behind schedule."

"We are always behind schedule," stamped Peggy.

"Exactly. Do I need to spoon-feed everything for you?" She tapped her watch. Then pushed the door open and went out. The door swung close and Peggy stared at it for a few confused seconds thinking about NEWTS and OWLS and mother and father, then when she remembred Serenity, and her affronted face, feelings so swirled she could not describe them let alone put a label on. Violet took her hand and her brains out of her ministrations and they both went after Alice.

Serenity shook her head. "There are people who are just easily influenced by the wrong crowd."


	7. Lake Lessons

That young October day, seventeen students could be seen going out of the castle doors marching towards the forest in a straight line.

When Professor Lupin had told the entire class they were going to have a practical, everyone was already zipping their bags and cleaning their desks before he finished his sentence.

It was such a sight. With their wands on duel position and their chins high up, they marched. Proud young faces dreaming of battles to come. And why should not hold their chins up? For they had already mastered the different duel stances. Any adversary in front of them and they would know what to do. They will not be caught off guard.

More than one student gazed excitedly and sadly from their classroom window, wondering when it would be their turn to march off to the grounds and smell the green fern, only to be called back by their teacher to go back to smelling the dusty crimpy air of the classroom.

"Are we there yet? Are we there yet?" whispered Peggy.

"For heaven's sake Peggy! You've said that seven times." said Alice, putting a protective spell on his robes to keep them off the mud, while Peggy's own robes just went sloshing.

"My feet is already tired," she complained, then kicked a stone from the ground with her feet anyway.

"Peggy, Professor Lupin is not going to massage your ankles let alone carry you to the hospital wing just because you sprained it in his class," said Alice.

That day that the Defence Against the Dark Arts class went to have a practical lesson on the lake, Violet Sharp finally thought that she was going to have her long-awaited redemption.

Professor Lupin chose a part of the lake full of dark creatures, and grouped the class into three students each boat where they were supposed to fight pass over to the other side without getting killed.

Crossing over the dark murky waters, the ripple disturbance trails that they left getting bigger, they looked like a bunch of looming reserve student war-force in case of a war break-out. Which was what they're actually are. Tonks looked over the competing teams.

The Professor had one boat for himself along with some boys. Miss Serenity Gertrude Blythe was on one of the other boats too. She held her chin as she was looking over to Miss Sharp and entourage and thought they were tactless undignified pack of giggling school girls and she was way above those shallow things in life. And she was a prefect who had to check and keep everything like a goody two shoes it girl, with blond hair, cheeky formal wardrobe and kindness.

The race was on, and Tonks was ready for action. _Oh yeah baby, see me in action, professor, and you'd be totally smitten off your feet. That's right, come to me giant squid._ But before she could show off, she had stepped into an old net lying innocently on the boat and was thrown overboard. But that's alright. It's not as if she could not heave herself in in a jiffy.

But Lupin was quicker and had her out of the water without so much as flicking his wand. He didn't even need to stand to look over.

"Alright there Miss Sharp?" said Lupin. Tonks nodded. She was dripping wet having just been slumped unceremoniously to their boat like a wet rat. After that, Lupin turned away to drive the students eith more instructions and took no more notice of her.

Alice noticed her disappointment at his lack of attention. "Well, what did you expect? For you to be dragged down by a giant squid, for him to jump over the water, carry you like a princess to the lake edge and fuss over you, so you could pretend to be unconscious and he can give you a CPR?" she told her.

"Giant Squid Alert!" Violet shouted, cutting her off mid-lecture. This time, she jumped in time when the squid slapped its tentacles right in the middle of their boat, and before landing on the water, she casted a cooling charm for it to freeze on the surface. She will not be caught going in it again like a simpleton of a fifth year. Alice jumped behind her, barely even making it. The other boat near them weren't so lucky.

Serenity Gertrude Blythe landed in the water when her boat tumbled. Her ankle got gripped by the giant squid. She let out a scream for help before the squid dragged her down the deep waters.

This time, Lupin took off his coat and made a dive. After a few minutes he and Miss Blythe emerged into the surface, where the whole class by all means had already imagined the most amazing of rescues involving wrestling and magic and action. The class "oooeed" and "Aaaa"ed, because this was what Defense and fighting looked like, and they had seen for themselves the Lupin in-action version.

Tonks had her jaw dropped as she watched the whole scene. Serenity Gertrude Blythe made Professor Lupin dive off the boat and get wet.

"Guess I was wrong," Alice shrugged.

Lupin and Serenity were swimming to the edge of the lake with Lupin firmly supporting both their weights. He carried Miss Blythe to the edge beside some potato plants and was now bending over to the girl. Tonks could not help noticing that Lupin's shirt stuck a bit to his skin after a lake swim. This reminded Tonks of someone she quite forgot the name of. Something about grounds and countryside proposals and lake dives and vast properties with long promenades. Dorkshire... drakeshire...

The girl replied weakly about a swollen ankle and Lupin gave her first aid by massaging her feet.

"There, does it still hurt?" said Professor Lupin affably.

Tonks hissed and shot a couple of water-demons who were trying to get near the boat, shouting _stupefy_ and _Impedimienta_ to the top of her lungs like she was some scary witch from Hansel and Gretel. She emerged from the lake after killing a dozen more arm-sized leeches. It must have been the school's way to save on funds to let the students tackle the leech infestation. As a result, she was drenched in blood and water and mud, looking as far as possible from the word graceful and looking for all in the world as if she just slayed a dragon.

But she didn't know yet that Lupin's fettish for women involved exactly that: those who looked like they just slayed a dragon, and that the mud and the blood on her uniform just made her look more sexy. Needless to say it was exactly this kind of scene that Lupin had fallen for Tonks back in the Order days.

He was reminded of the moment when a Manticore had just attacked Tonks and was on top of her ready to devour. Lupin had rushed to her rescue, still thinking that she was an overrated fresh graduate rookie trying to impress her superiors with her non-existent skills. But Tonks had emerged from the onslaught unscathed, but with blood (of the Manticore, not hers) and grime all over her face like a warrior.

She had shoved the Animal aside without dread or fancy girl reservations as if it was not a great big carcass and had given Lupin an unaffected "What?" when she found him staring wide eyed on the scene.

Tonks had bit her lip thinking how violent she must have looked like while Lupin had cleared his throat trying hard and succeeding to hide his amazement and wonder.

_And now, she, Tonks, was emerging from the lake, and moving in slow-motion, her hair flying wet and graceful, and her face filled with such fierceness from the last battle as she bathed in victory for defeating lake monsters, she moved towards Lupin and roughly pinned him to the a tree, then kissed him where everybody had a full view._

"Earth to Violet! Earth to Violet! get out of the boat! Wait, are you drooling?" Peggy pushed her out to the land.

"Well done Miss Sharp. Ten points to Gryffindor," said the Lupin.

Tonks shot him an angry glance which was all she could do to stop herself from saying, "shut up!". She was still feeling annoyed, especially when she looked over to the face of Miss Blythe, who had a shy weak smile in her graceful face.

"Argg! How I wish professor Lockhart were here!" said Tonks out loud.

"You really are obsessed with teachers are you?" said Alice just crawling carefully behind her from the boat.

"Speak for yourself, you!" Tonks pointed an accusing finger at her. "If I know, you hide behind a façade who's all responsible and dependable when you are secretly making plots to manipulate the whole school to your fancy!"

Alice covered her mouth. "Shhh, Don't speak a thing. A good image is very helpful in a lot of circumstances. You must make yourself appear right to the right people."

Tonks nodded to say that she understood, so Alice removed her hand.

It was already night-time when Violet stopped in her tracks. Someone was sobbing in the bathroom.

Tonks could recognize Peggy's voice if it was across the room.

"I know why you're crying," said another voice she was probably talking to. "Your money is up. You can't stay here at Hogwarts next year."

"Everyone's got gold problems you see. Not just me," said Peggy.

"Yes. So you must naturally also know the consequences of not having one. Next year, you can't enrol. You go back to the muggle world. Try being a first year all over again. You already know from the very start, Peggy. You'd end up in this glitch sooner or later."

"I… I'll think of something...do an odd job here or there. I'll get through."

"I have a better deal for you."

"Alright. What job is it?"

_A/N: Tonks' got mud and blood on her so she's a mudblood, ahahahaha, so very very punny. Okay nobody's laughing. I'll shut up._


	8. Welcome to Lucedo Labs

.oOo.

It had been raining heavily that night when Laurence Fetcher asked her to step out of her room to visit the facility. It was wet and cold and dim with a slight nostalgia of home. Peggy was cocooned by her thick blankets Alice suspected was more than three layers, contently snoring. She herself had been sitting on her desk with a blanket covering her lap. Warming charms do work but somehow, it was better to let the cold seep in and just cover it snugly with a natural blanket. Retro style.

Outside her window, an occasional lightning and thunder would sound and the wind was so strong and loud Alice thought it might succeed in shaking the window out of its hinges. She reluctantly went out from her comfortable blanket to reinforce the spell around the window. As soon as the blanket shook off from her, coldness started to seep in again, but she walked to the window anyway.

There is something about a very cold chaotic world outside that is simply breathtaking and beautiful, if it was that vast torrent of the lake and the fern forest beyond it that seem to stretch for miles. It has a different coldness in it than the city view although both are equally breathtaking. Especially when you yourself is tucked safe behind windows with a warm fire with some company of friends.

And there is nothing more irritating than to spend such a wonderful cold day with something that would take you out of that sleepy cozy comfort to put you out in that torrent of wet rain in order to make you do some nasty business outside. It doesn't matter what it is, perhaps taking the trash or going to the post office to do some elaborate transactions with real-estate agents. It is simply irritating.

"Alice Forster? I'm looking for an Alice Forster."

"I am here."

"I have a message for you from Laurence Fetcher. He wants you out into the common room."

.oOo.

"I assume you hid the laboratory using a big extension charm," said Alice. Alice's voice sounded loud, even though she was already whispering.

Laurence chuckled and raised his eyebrow. By which he meant, why would I do something like that? Laurence continued walking in front of her. Torchlight flickered as they walked passed it making their shadows alarmingly dangerous.

"Is it still far?" asked Alice. They passed corridor after corridor but Laurence continued his steady pace.

"We're almost there."

He proceeded to climb the spiral staircase.

"We're here" He stopped in the middle of the spiral staircase and faced left. Alice, who was expecting a non-expectable stop to stop in was not dissappointed.

"Laurence? Why did you stop in the middle of the staircase?"

"The entrance of the lab is through the window," he said calmly.

"Is this some case of ambiguous philosophical riddle where the speaker can cheat anyway the point is headed and declare it's been staring you in the face from the very start when in fact, it was so ambiguous it was not?"

Laurence ignored him and just swung open the enormous glass window. (This was the one with the glass picture of a mermaid turning to be a human). The wind immediately blew the moment Laurence opened a big glass window on the side of the spiral staircase. The moment it was open, Alice had to shield herself with her hands to stop the torrent of wind and showers. "No. I'm not being ambiguous. The entrance is really through this window. You just have to jump." At the word jump, a lightning struck, making Laurence's face darker after it finished.

"Laurence, you do realize there is a storm outside," said Alice matter-of-factly.

"Oh shush, where's your sense of adventure?"

"Already thrown out of the window a long time ago. I'd rather a new teritorry be studied first to see the probability of survival before jumping."

Laurence ignored her. He was waving his wand in a series of complicated motions Alice did not have a hard time remembering.

He gripped the edge of the window. "I don't even need to ask you to follow me." Then he jumped.

.oOo.

The door behind her blazed threateningly on the edges. She was not one to be fond of being inside an high security unfamiliar territories like this (Who was?). She was no Gryffindor, fond of risk and 'adventures'. Adventures meant unfamiliar terrains with unknown factors which meant unpredictable and uncontrollable outcomes. You can't pull any strings because you are just laid with new strings in front of you you don't know what each of those does unless she pulls each on of them be experiment. Each pull being a risk where she might loose her neck next. And everyone knows experimenting through trial and error is resource expensive. The fastest person to learn the navigation usually wins.

"Change one factor at a time," that's what his father told her. That was what the R and D Department does. And that's how they discover what pulls the strings.

Layman's term, Death. High probability of dying or loosing resources which might have been saved for better utilization. She preferred it that she had at least some information and research about the place. But this was a virgin territory she ventured with open eyes.

When she saw Laurence get disappear as soon as he touched the emerald flames, she immediately knew it was no extension charm. The more appropriate phrase would be, 'she saw Laurence smash against it.' as if he was a breakable thing that shattered when he was smashed on the window, although there was no glass.

"So you created a different platform for your entrance," she stood beside Laurence after the emerald flames let her go.

Laurence shrugged. "Better to be safe than sorry. I had a separate platform built for this network. I want it separated from the main floo."

"Naturally."

She had a haunch the portal was along the lines of the mechanism on platform nine and three quarters. Though heavily guarded with wards in order to not be prised open.

.oOo.

"So how did you come to work here, Timothy?" The first thing a person had to do when faced in a new territory is gather information. Then she should know her options and opportunities after that.

"It's just Tim. And to answer your question, Laurence hired me. It's such a pity that I don't get to remember everything after I walk out of that door," said Timothy.

"Deleted memories?" she asked.

"Yeah. All extracted from my brain. First, he would get all the memories and the information inside our heads then let us drink a potion that erases all memories from the past few hours at the same time a coating freeze to let us pass through the fire. All I remember is that I'm working for this Tecknolock in Skyrise building in London. I was assigned to a top-secret project, then signed all those confidentiality papers. We were given a special top-security area inside the building. I don't even know how a big facility such as this fits inside."

What the Aurors saw after they entered the doors, it was the abandoned warehouse where the legit business was stationed.

"It isn't inside the building. You were just channeled here through a portal. My guess is that this is somewhere off-grid, so the moment someone smells something wrong, he can cut off connections."

"Why are you telling me all these? I won't remember anyway after I walk out the door."

Alice gave him a small smile. "Aren't we friends?" She waited until he smiled back. "So tell me, who runs the Technolock company?"

"You're telling me you don't know your employers? Mr Fetcher runs the company. Knew there was some loose tile with his son. Weird things keep on happening when he's around. One time when he was told by his father to not enter a top secret development area, then we found him inside the next morning, sleeping on the monitors."

"I wonder how he got in," asked Alice, swiping her key on the slot of the contraption for further testing.

"That's the problem. Nobody knows. Everyone got shouted at till all the managers' voice got hoarse so they finally stopped. The boss seem to think we let the door open."

"Surely the cctvs had their uses?"

"Of course. That's how we got off the case. The footage showed that we left the door locked. We reviewed it a million times, but we didn't find Laurence go inside any of the entrances. He was just simply there. " Rangie leaned closer to Alice. He seem to have forgotten his own testing unit now.

.oOo.

It was time to sneak out of school and to investigate if she could find some transactions under the table.

The plan was to stalk the corridors like a shadow if she could spot some shady activities using an invisibility cloak.

When she bent around the corner on one of the famous secret spot, she found what she was looking for.

"Have you got the supply?", said Peggy. A boy conjured a box with his wand and gave it to her.

"Here. I had to hide it secretly in the dormitory and put charms in it. I don't want to get caught."

Peggy nodded. "Alright. I understand."

And the boy walked off trying to act inconspicuous in spite of his discomfort.

"Peggy," Tonks stepped out of the shadows, her face showing no sign of mercy. "I can't believe this."

Peggy gasped. "What are you doing here in the middle of the night?"

"Hand over the box."

"Alright, but let's wait till we get to the dorms."

But Tonks went to pull it open.

"No Violet, don't open it. People might see!" Peggy tried to stop her.

"But this is elligal!"

But when Tonks opened it, it was just full of underwears.

"Bras and panties illegal now, yeah?" said Peggy.

"What are you doing with all of these anyway?!" said Tonks, pointing one bra accusingly at Peggy.

"I was going to sell them in the ladies dorm. The supply was from the boy's shop, and we were hiding it, because obviously, he can't be seen selling these, couldn't he? Want one?"

"I thought you were selling drugs."

Peggy rolled her eyes. "As if I would do that."

"Well a lot of people get desperate for gold. Hey this pink one is pretty cute and lacy." said Tonks, bending over.

"Isn't it? It's called the Innocence Collection. It's simple and has ease of use designed to be marketed to the student body."

"What are you two doing in the corridors at night?" Tonks jumped when she heard Lupin spoke suddenly behind them. She slowly turned her head, and there he was (again), with his stern eyes boring on their stomachs.

"Professor Lupin! Sometimes really, you gotta stop sneaking into everyone's back and giving them a heart-attack." said Tonks, hiding the bra she was holding and the box out of sight.

"I asked, what are you doing in the corridors past curfew? And what did you say you wanted to market to the student body? I better get some good excuse."

Tonks and Peggy looked at each other.

Tonks sighed. No matter what situation, Remus was always a pain in the butt. "It wasn't Peggy's fault. Please don't give her detention."

"Let me see the box you're hiding behind you." Lupin held out his hand.

Peggy gasped in horror, "But Professor, this isn't drugs we're transacting in the middle of the night."

"Well then you have nothing to be afraid of. Hand it over." said Lupin.

"Just, just give us detention for a week. We won't mind," pleaded Peggy.

"Box. Now." said Lupin with his voice threatening to be angry.

Tonks shrugged. "Your call." Tonks shoved the bra she was holding back to the box and closed it.

"I think I'm going to be sick. Or die." said Peggy.

"Here Professor." Tonks shoved the box to his hands.

Lupin opened the box. Moments after that, he tried to keep a straight face, but his face had gone red with embarassment before he straightened it out again.

"Peggy was going to sell these to the girls back in the dorm. I suppose there's nothing wrong with that, right?" smiled Tonks mischievously. "Okay then, we'll just go ahead." and with that, Tonks grabbed Peggy's hand.

"Run." said Tonks.

And they ran out of sight with Tonks' laugh still echoing irritably in his ear.

Remus stared starkly at the box, and was consequently unable to move for a couple of seconds.

He heard footsteps behind him and the voice of the librarian saying, "Remus? What's that you're holding?"

"Miss Sharp." said professor Lupin. "Step forward. It's your turn now."

They were having a DADA lesson, and today was about boggarts.

The class filed in a line after Lupin explained to them on what they were supposed to do. And then it was Tonks' turn. The boggart turned into Professor Lupin, and was starting to walk towards Tonks, No doubt about to tell her something horrible, like he was going to Majorca or something. Tonks waived her wand with a ridiculus, and Lupin's robes changed into a black Weird sisters T-shirt. His slacks became jagged jean pants.

Tonks laughed herself stupid before she realized she was in front of many people.

Lupin cleared his throat. "Miss Sharp. Detention 7:00 pm."

"Aw, you've got to be kidding me."

So she found herself walking the familiar way towards the stonework that was Remus' office; but now, apparently as a criminal.

A gentle rap on a door that was slightly open and a reserved squeak of "Professor" from her lips told her she should probably just push it open or something because nobody answered. Not even a cold-shouldered call of "come in" from Remus.

When she arrived inside, she saw Remus sleeping soundlessly with Teddy curling in his lap. It was snowing outside and it was really cold. And Tonks could not resist snuggling them better with a pair of blanket from the cupboard.

Carefully (as careful as she could manage), she covered the sleeping form of Teddy.

Remus stirred. He woke up, but not before he could whisper "Nymphadora?" sleepily.

Tonks jumped away from both of them. Lupin started awake and stared at her, then to Teddy.

"Oh, sorry, sir. I- I should probably start cleaning now," said Tonks. She hastily went to start her routine work of organizing and arranging the bookshelf. Lupin adjusted Teddy's head to rest on one of the pillows. He got up to his desk to start with his (Tonks would say) infernal paperwork that goes so on and so forth now and forever.

"Proffessor, I was going to ask..." she said while she fumbled on the shelves.

"Yes?"

"About the bra and the knickers you confiscated. We were wondering if we could have it back. Peggy's run out of supplies."

"Shh," said Lupin.

But it was too late. Snape had entered the room carrying a gobletful of wolfsbane potion. He raised his eyebrow, admonishing his downright disapproval and silent lividness.

"You confiscated their what?" he asked.

Remus paled. "No. Severus, it's not what you think."

Tonks immediately went forward. "It's not his fault, I gave it to him for fun to watch his face in embarrassment because it was in the middle of the night, and we were in the hallways-"

Remus cut her off in mid-sentence with a face-palm and shoved her to the side.

"What she meant to say was that I caught them in the middle of the night selling materials and I demanded to see what was in the box. They left me with it, because they were afraid and started running. When I saw the contents, I found that it was not after all, contraband... just a couple of products to be sold to the female market..."

It took Severus an hour of convincing before he stopped trying to threaten them both with expulsion. He was only hinting now. Subtle blackmail, it could be called.

Tonks bit her lips looking apologetically at Lupin.

She was just rewarded with an angry reply. "Next time, be careful with what you're saying. I could lose my job in this."

Tonks gulped. She was positively in real trouble now.

His glance bored on Tonks as she started cleaning in frenzy to get back to Remus' good side. He finally commented with a snide, "So, your wife's not out demolishing the place now, is she?"

Tonks gripped the books she was holding so hard, it could have snapped into pieces. She was also considering the impulse on throwing it to Snape.

"She's currently occupied with very important ministry matters at the moment, " said Lupin.

"So now you have the students cleaning your room instead of house elves," said Snape.

Lupin frowned. "You know how I'm not fond of using house elves. "

"Mmppth," she made a suppressed giggle. "If Hermione Granger had her way with the legislation, she'd have house-elves carrying books and going to school just like the rest of us."

"Then I suppose you like cleaning the whole castle with your bare hands then." said Snape.

"Of course sir, as long as it makes more time for the elves to dance a jig and it make purebloods start wearing aprons. It would probably sell hotcakes if put into chocolate frog cards."

"You'll find it rather hard since pureblood aristocrats will accept nothing less the best tailored fabrics."

"It's going to be fine." shrugged Violet. "Our civilization had managed to make werewolves wear the best dress-robes, well manage that too."

"Miss Sharp. Detention. In my office. You can start cleaning my walls with a pair of toothbrush. Let's see how much your ideals hold before you start bringing the house-elves in."

Remus cleared his throat. "You can't do that."

"Why not?"

"Because she already has detentions from me for the whole semester, " said Remus calmly.

Tonks marched away, with a song that could almost break a thick vase with its off-tune magnitude.

"The impertinence of that girl." Snape left the room fuming.

Kingsley's owl swooped down to Tonks while she was dusting Lupin's extensive library, that seemed to be full of dust it looked as old as Merlin himself.

Tonks caught the letter on air. It read,

"Well?" - Kingsley.

She scribbled a reply "I'm supposed to produce a weekly progress report, and it's only Wednesday. Do you want me to report all my classes?" - Tonks

In another ten minutes another owl came by to drop a letter.

"No, but I'm going to ask about your community immersion. Make sure to get friendly with the shady people, not professors."

"For Merlin's sake Kingsley! I'll find a sack full of those potions for you, just quit with the professor thing!"

That's when she got the idea: If she was going to penetrate the secret black market, she must become a black market dealer herself. And she has just got the items to sell that: Lupin's boggart picture.

.oOo.

"What's going on?" said Violet when she went down the common room. "Why is Peggy going ballistic?"

"Professor won't wear the Griffyndor scarf to the Quiditch game. He says as a teacher he shouldn't take sides," said Peggy.

"We already told him even Professor Mcgonagal used to wear the scarf when she was head of house," said Serenity.

"Classic Remus, Let him be, he'll come around to the side of the angels when he's attacked by one of his fits," said Violet.

"But the game's this Saturday!" wailed Peggy.

What does it matter if he wears the scarf or not?" asked Violet.

Alice suddenly chuckled. "Peggy had an unfortunate accident with the Slitherins. They teased her something about being an orphan team with no head teacher."

"And? I'm guessing it's not the end of the story."

"Peggy insisted it was not true, so Peggy agreed to the bet even if she still did not know what it was," said Alice.

"To which you grabbed me and said I'll be wearing a flobberworm outfit if we don't get to make Professor Remus wear the scarf!" said Peggy.

"I've got no choice. They were threatening to get all your homework on defense. To which you were stupidly bullied to agreeing. I had to present another harmless offer to save your grades."

Peggy sniffed. "I'm not sure I would have preferred the latter."

Alice was silent for a moment as she continued typing, and everyone thought she had nothing more to say.

"Professor Lupin," said Alice quitely.

"What?"

"Professor Lupin would disprove of you if you did the latter. But if you dress as a flobberworm, the whole school would have laughed at you. But you will still be alright in Professor Lupin's eyes."

Peggy stopped complaining.

"What are you laughing about, when you're not even lifting a finger to help our house? I'd like to see you try, if you think you're so clever," said Serenity.

"Your predicament is simple. And so is the solution." Alice now sipped her tea. "If you can't make Profesor Lupin do it, then it means you're weak."

"That's not really helping."

"If you're too weak, use someone who's stronger than you. If you can't move the professor, find someone who can, Perhaps that way would be far better and can be more manipulated than your first way. You can start from there."

"Still not helping."

"To put it simply, find Professor Lupin's wife."

Just then the door opened slowly and Violet went inside. She closed the door behind her. Nobody even noticed she had quickly gone out of the room

"It's alright. Professor Lupin already said yes," she said to the crowd.

"Woah Violet! You're really something! We've been trying to get Professor Lupin to wear this scarf in the quiditch match for ages! You've got talent."

Alice looked at Violet curiously.

"Come on Alice, We have to finish the decorations. You said you'll help this time!" said Peggy.

Alice closed the laptop she was typing in. "I changed my mind. I have something to do in my room." Then she disappeared up the stairs. Some alternate explanation is just more highly probable.

.oOo.

Wizards. With their crude and inaccurate measuring system. If she had her way, she'd sanitize the whole potions lab so there would be no foreign objects for the potions she was brewing, so she could conduct a proper standard experimentation with control and test sets and all that. She could really use a centrifuge too, even just for starters, even though a big expensive separator to break it down to crude elements to let them know what ingredients were really significant in the concoction.

Alice had many polyjuice potion in her robes which she claimed to be using only for experimental purposes about its pattern behaviour on different individuals. Still, it was difficult to get a hair from Violet.

She caught Violet once inconspicuously scattering some stray hairs from her pockets. She suspect it had been placed all over the room after she swept it clean off her own hair. Which just made Alice just more suspicious. How much is her net worth that even if she was just a fifth year she is already so obsessed with something trivial as someone stealing her hair?

She had to specifically made an engorgement charm on the hairs to examine the differences. Once she identified the number of different kinds of hair inside their room, she set out to see who they belonged to. If Violet was in a charm disguise, she expected at least one of those hairs to turn into something unfamiliar.

What she found out was more than a disguise.

"…"

When Violet pushed the door open to their room that night, it was very dark and foreboding. When she turned the light on, there was someone sitting cross-legged on the bench.

"You're a shapeshifter. All shapeshifters are registered yet your records in the school register don't say it. You must be here to infiltrate " said Alice. "Are you from the CIA, NSA, or MI6?"

Violet blinked at her. Trying to looks stupid and empty-headed.

"Who are you, and why did you come to this school?"


	9. My soup of Love

.oOo.

It was one gray morning that Violet Sharp was peacefully sipping her syrup, and eating her batch of breakfast (pancakes with honey and butter toppings) with gusto as that of a giant hippogriff.

Once in a while, her eyes would venture to check over the faculty's table to check if Remus sipped his tea (earl grey, there's no need to ask) or when he turned his head to talk to other teachers.

"What are you eating?" Violet overheard the muggle studies teacher ask Remus.

"Sandwich."

"Only a run-through Sandwich? I take it your wife is not at home?" Emma Williams laughed. "Here, let me fix you something better. I've got this lettuce leaves and cucumbers from Hogsmeade and it would all look tasty with the strawberry jam and cream."

"Really Emma, you shouldn't go through the trouble-"

"No. It's no trouble, really. I'll just make yours while I slice mine."

Violet struck a fork on her own plate when she watched Remus murmured his thanks and accept his sandwich with a slight bow. But she was not left in mortification for long because at that moment, a sudden whooping owl broke her eavesdropping and dropped a letter to her lap. It said, "Come by our meeting place, at 1:00 pm, today. V. Important."

.oOo.

"What is it?" said Violet when she arrived at the unused classroom where they agreed to meet.

"Violet, you're finally here. You need to know our new agendas."

"Fire away."

"We're going to make a workaround Laurence' obliviation security system. But we need to gather ingredients to make the necessary potion."

"Alright everyone, settle down, SETTLE DOWN!" said Peggy, rapping her wand on the table. Although there was really no need to be loud since it was just Alice and Violet with her in the room.

She cleared her throat, "Our meeting will officially commence. And our agendas for today: Alice, proceed please."

Alice stood up and cleared her throat, "I have hacked our school's database, I mean, uhm, cave man parchment records, to acquire Mr. Lupin's personal address. And I am shocked and pleased to say that it's in one of the passages somewhere in the castle. We have already formulated an excuse on what we should do if ever we are caught wandering around its premises. Since it is situated outside the garden on the edge of the forest, we will say that we are only looking for a plant species we have to use for herbology. But as such as we only have little information, I strongly suggest we first observe our surroundings before we make our move."

"In short, we're going to see Professor Lupin in his house." said Peggy to the crowd. (The crowd being composed of Violet and Alice).

"You can't!" said Violet standing up from her chair. She was feeling more and more uncomfortable at the ensuing of the conversation.

"Why ever not?" said Peggy.

"Because what if Lupin's place is guarded with dragons and grindilows?"

"Then it'll be more fun." said Peggy happily.

"You people do know it's stalking, right? Alice, why do you put up with this? " said Tonks thinking that she, of all people must at least have some sense.

"Technically," said Alice, adjusting her glasses, "but I'm only here to find a Vermotious insegra plant. We need it for our research. She is my Guinea pig. You can't honestly think I'd go to the mini-forest alone just for stalking someone? That would be stupid."

"Wait, what did you just say? You're just using her as a guinea pig? This sounds downright disturbing and immoral all of a sudden."

"You can't honestly think about just letting her go to the forest alone. Again, that would be stupid. She is after all, my moral responsibility. And we already have it covered in the contract."

"You made a contract?" said Tonks, unable to believe it.

"By the way, what are we going to do with the fact that the forest is forbidden?" said Peggy.

"Correction. The forbidden forest is forbidden. But the mini-forest still in the school grounds is not. I've checked the student handbook and did my research. We are not breaking any school rules. And if we get caught, I will be your personal lawyer." said Alice.

"Wait, wait, I still can't get over it. You made a friendship contract?"

Alice turned to Violet. "Yes! But we are still debating on its name. Peggy insist it be called 'Lupin Fan Club' but I wanted it to be called the 'Fifty Shades of Marketing'. Lupin is, after all, popular in the student body. I just ventured this niche for marketing the merchandise."

The entourage of high-functioning individuals pretending to be shallow giggling girls pretending to be high-functioning individuals in the pretext of academic excellence filled out to march outside the castle.

To reach the garden on the back part of the castle, they had to pass through a medium-sized vine archway filled with small dark-brown and green coloured leaves that allowed the sun to peek brightly with diamond patterns on the floor and the ivory walls. And if you shook its vine walls or if the wind would particularly blew a little strong enough, a shower of these would decorate your promenade.

But before they could enter, Peggy pointed at the postage sign on the left.

"One way" it said.

"One way? what does that mean? "

"I'm sure it means you know, that there's only one way." said Violet.

"I know what it means! It means we can't go back the same way!" said Peggy.

"Yes. I am painfully aware of this fact." said Alice walking forward.

"Then why are you bloody so smug?! We could break our neck in there or something."

"Because it's not forbidden. Which is saying a lot in itself. And I do really need that plant for my next experiment."

Then, when they finally reached the other side of the roof-arched promenade, the vines snaked its way to build a block on their way back. Peggy immediately tried a cutting spell, but the vines grew too fast the moment she slashed it.

"Were doomed." muttered Peggy miserably.

They reached to a small open grassy glade with an old well on the side. Everyone felt that they had headed to a secluded, quiet part of the school. And their adventure spirit has notably increased with every step.

Finally, they reached the garden then went forward into the high wall adjacent to the castle. But they found themselves gravely disappointed because there were only stone walls on the sides, no door. And the only other possible way out was the one that snaked in front of them: the mini-forest with its mini-horrors.

Going back to school through the thickets of the mini-forest would have been fun, but you see, the forest itself has its own prank magic. If you enter in there, even if you memorized or carried your compass or counted every step, you would get out to a different random part of the castle grounds, not very good when you are going late for potions. And after that, a playful laugh would emanate from the forest itself as if there were nymphs dancing. Legends says that the nymphs just wanted to play with the humans for a while, and if you humor them long enough, they were going to give you a gift. But nobody gotten an actual gift and was more desirous not to get lost.

Alice prodded her chin thoughtfully. "But the records says the guest house is situated directly at the back of the castle adjacent to the garden walls."

Tonks was just staring at the potatoe patch the and other edible plants Remus had insisted on planting in the corner of he garden, arranged in wonderful plots so as not to ruin the aesthetics of the flowers. Remus and his obsession with potatoes. Honestly, just because he starved for a decade before he got his job doesn't mean he had to obsess over survival carb plants.

"Oh, oh, I have an idea! Maybe we just have to find a magic door that may just open when a phase of the moon strikes it. Maybe it's got to be the full moon for it to open." said Peggy.

"Peggy, have you actually been listening to useful classes instead of reading children's fantasy books? Even if that's hypothetically true, it's still not scalable. We can't wait here every night for the door to appear."

You're talking muggle talk. Are you witches or not? Using your bloody wands to blow up the wall would be one excellent solution.

"What if we can just try a bit of magic, like a reveal spell or something to see if there's any charms…" said Tonks, in hope that it would stop their side visit, knowing full well you just had to tap the second brick to the right, and that you needn't even need to fly in order to do it.

"We don't know any spells that could do that but perhaps… hmmm…" Alice rummaged at her bag.

"What are you going to do? Get a very thick index book of spells? You don't even know what specific subject you have to search," said Tonks, who knew quite well what spell to use, but dreaded their visit to their house. "We could go back to the library to try to research spells…" suggested Tonks, trying to dissuade them on the stalking the professor detour.

"People don't go to the library much these days." She got out a thin box.

"What is that?" said Peggy.

"It's an ipad. Honestly, I don't know how you survive without google. I'm just going to search keywords in googletranslate to translate it to Latin and greek. As per my previous theory, the wand responds only to old languages. There are a lot of permutations, but let's see…" she gazed at the lot of them. "How many of you knows how to use this?" Peggy shot her hand up.

"I'll search the keywords, and you translate it to Greek and Latin. Let's do it that way so there'd be no duplicates. Then after translation, " she took a book as wide as her chest and thicker than her arms. "Check it with this spell dictionary to correct it to the right linguistic cut. Heaven knows there might be a thousand ways to phrase the word."

The process continued for a time until they had come up with a 20 suitable list of spell that was in the dictionary, and to Tonks relief, not one of them contained the revealing door spell.

But Tonks was wrong. Certainly, the list did not contain the actual spell, but Alice was doing some sort of engineering to which she was using magic's crude properties to manipulate and design it to her favour. And after obeying the instructions of the book on how to properly flick their wands on saying the spell, they reached the fourteenth spell that actually had some effect.

The wall opened and a great archway appeared. They all stepped inside in awe at their own genius.

The room was a hallway like any other.

There was also a sign that said, "The guestroom" and an arrow pointing straight ahead.

Tonks hoped they would not notice the door to the right and all of them would just go straight ahead.

Then she noticed something was weird in this hallway. She knew this passage well as she had often used it herself to reach the back part of the garden and fly from there. There was supposed to be a room to the left going to the Lupin guesthouse. But there was no door there. The hallway just continued to go to the expanse on their front.

At first, they were saying things like, "How long is this passage?" and "How many steps have we actually taken?"

There was a white light at the end of the passage, but after some time they realized they were not getting any closer.

Tonks whistled. "I did tell you guys this may be a bad idea. This is the back part of the castle, and we don't even know what dungeons this thing holds."

But it turned out that they could actually reached the end, because that very moment, they reached the threshold of the hallway. Others breathed a sigh of relief.

But their relief was short-lived. They found themselves facing a thin layer of stone passage that snaked on the floor from that room to the next. It was the only way to go forward and it didn't look very inviting since it had a bottomless-looking abyss below it. Tonks instinctively took a loose stone and threw it to the abbys. They did not even hear the stone hit the base. It was a very deep cavern.

"Let's turn back. It's only straight way ahead." others heartily agreed.

"It's not as if this is one of the enchanted rooms where you can't go back because it's a maze." said Tonks. They walked back to the one-way exit they knew. Only now, it seemed to be curving to the right a bit. Then Tonks stopped and gasped. Everyone behind her hit each other as they collided with each other's back.

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. They all stood aghast, there appeared in front of them, stairs and stairs, and passages to the left and right, ten to twenty lined up straight to choose from, going sideways, going to the left, passages with stairs going up, some going down, all on a beautiful intricate straight rectangular shapes, dotted with curved passages here and there. They were really now inside a maze.

Peggy groaned. "The bloody stairs are moving! After everything it did they are still actually moving." Yes. Apart from the maze, the stairs were moving so that if you wanted to cross to go to a certain door, it would move you to a different one, which was so normal, Peggy shouldn't really have minded.

"Yeah. We noticed." said Tonks. She was already positioned in battle mode, and her eyes were already sharp and alert. They were in for a fight.

"Ppppppasage… tr..apped." said Peggy. Her face contorted in fear for a few seconds.

"Quick! Place a tracking charm on Peggy!" In spite of her fears, Peggy gulped and went forward through one of the passages after telling Alice to murmur a hurried incantation to her person.

She did not disappear very long when she came bolting back from the hole which she disappeared to. "Troll! In the dungeons." said Peggy running towards them, then panting to catch her breath beside Alice.

"I suddenly feel dejavu." said Tonks.

Alice managed to remain her composure then suddenly announced. "I hate to break it in to you guys but, who among us here have insurance."

Before anyone could wonder, or bewail the fact that they were trapped in an unknown part of the building, perhaps forever, the huge troll finally appeared in one of the shadow holes of the castle. The troll spotted them, gave a roar and started towards their direction.

There must have been something very unnerving about it, because for a few moments the party was rooted to the spot with their mouths gaped open.

But not Tonks. She looked like there was some tasty feast before her. It was a good exercise to take down one or two of these babies.

Tonks smiled to herself. Yes. Finally, for some action. "Calm down guys, it's just one troll. It's not like they're breeding in here. She spoke too late, because just then a couple more trolls appeared in one of the corners. "Sweet Merlin! They must be really breeding in this part of the castle."

Everyone had to be frantically running.

But when they just opted to venture to the front they found themselves face to face with an inferi.

"Ahh, a zombie!" cried Peggy, and they were fast running on the other direction mapped as relatively safe.

"It's not a zombie. It's an inferi," said Alice who could not resist a lecture even if her life was on the line.

And so on it went, in one corner they saw threatening creatures after creatures all vowing to taste their blood. But Tonks knew the drill, knew the right spells and was the master of the situation still. That there were dark arts at work in the room was already established, but to what extent their obstacles would take form, nobody yet knew the limits.

"Everyone, put these on, " Alice's hand disappeared deep in her pouch and she drew out rings and tossed it to them.

Everyone obeyed. And everyone promptly vanished.

"Hullo, what's this?" said Peggy. But Tonks ushered her forward with a push to stop her usual flood of questions.

Tonks took charge and started bossing them to follow her voice.

Them at last, they found refuge over a room that was safe. It wasn't a room. It was a cave that smelt funny and damp. But its opening was small, and it gave them the advantage if they focus their fights on the entrance.

Tonks placed herself on the entrance between the minors and the debacle hell that they put themselves in. This was good because if the creatures had kept attacking them in the open on all directions, they could not possibly make it all alive.

Alice went past her and starred spraying perfume on the entrance. Just like magic, the trolls stopped on their tracks and looked confused.

"Finally," said Alice, grinning, "that infernal thing became useful on the utilitarian perspective."

After they caught their breaths, everyone finally removed thier rings to see each other.

This time, it was Tonks who asked the question. "What exactly are these Alice?"

Alice frowned, "Isn't it obvious? It's just a ring stuffed with a Delushionment charm. Very handy when you're in a sticky situation like this. I know we could delusion ourselves, but it takes time and the students below fifth year won't know how to cast it."

Peggy sat to the floor in exhaustion. There was a sound of something like cracking egg where she sad. Only it was ten time louder, since it was ten times bigger. Peggy found herself drenched in egg soot. "Eww, eww, eww, get it off me! Get it off me!"

"Peggy? Do you know exactly what that is?" asked Tonks trying to sound casual.

Alice sighed. "She doesn't. Let's get out here and leave her behind."

"Yes! It's egg globs and now I'm all wet and sticky!"

"Quick! Put your rings back on before-" said Tonks. Before the owner of this cave spots us. Too late. Something cracked. It came from the cave wall where a huge boulder detached itself with a mighty creak. Wisp of dust and crumble stones lay displaced in its wake. Then came the eight legs, seemingly part of the wall with it neatly folded and small. But now, the spider stretched out its legs and it suddenly became menacingly big. Peggy wondered how they hadn't noticed this when they came in, but she supposed it's colour blended pretty well.

"It's okay. It's only one spider. We can bring it down with a simple stunning spell." said Tonks.

But it wasn't only a spider. A huge black spider was now moving, and judging from its looks and locomotion alone, it would be classified as a living thing. The only thing it needs to be officially alive is if they could find a way for it to reproduce. Suddenly, more stone boulders cracked and detached themselves.

They could hear more scurrying movements further from the back. And the parts that they thought were twigs and stone creases on the walls moved until it became apparent that every one of those surfaces were actually a spider in its sleeping form, except it's awake now and spreading cracking their limbs that were once harmlessly folded small. They weren't sleeping now. And they've got pincers more sharp than a garden cutting grass only this one was with venom.

The hallways were playing a trick on them. And when the reality in front of you plays a trick on your visions, there was one thing a person needs to at least compare the ups and downs of the phenomenon and get some bearings: measurements. Alice immediately got out her map. She crossed references the two locations and they found their way out.

"Over there! I see a streak of light! That must be the exit," said Peggy.

They ran and ran outside into the thickets keeping a distance with the spiders cricketing behind them.

"I wonder what kind of species they are. I haven't really seen this yet in the zoo."

Violet who was more concerned about thier suvival probabilities than the species it was called went to rant at her to hurry up.

Finally they were out! Into the open ground, the sun shone over their faces. But they kept running.

Tonks saw Peggy stop short and gasp just ahead or her. She caught up to her and shouted "what's wro-" but she stopped in mid-sentence because there was a dangerous precipice before them.

" Jump! Just put cushioning charm on the way down," Alice instructed Peggy.

Peggy looked at the throng of spiders slowly swarming away coming from the small entrance of the wall towards them. Then she looked at the precipice, then to Alice. "Does the contract cover this jumping and the fact that I may break my neck in the jump?"

"No." Alice said coldly.

"Then I won't jump," said Peggy, crossing her hands stubbornly.

"Oh, for heaven's sake." Alice rolled her eyes, then pushed her. Peggy's echoing scream retched far. Alice raised her eyebrows at Tonks. "What?"

"Nothing. It's just, is this part of the Guinea pig thang, because I find that a bit disturbing."

"She wouldn't be able to jump if she wasn't pushed. And we are behind schedule already, " said Alice, tapping her foot impatiently. "Not to mention she might have died if we jumped ahead and she's stuck here unable to move."

"Right." said Tonks. "See you below," she said as she let herself fall on the edge with a grin on her face.

"Violet! My toes!"

"Ow, ow, sorry, don't pinch."

"Merlin, we fell very far."

There was a silhouette of a man carrying a lit wand from the corner of the big cliff rock bottom where they fell. The figure slowly walked towards them. And when it finally appeared on the corner bend, Professor Lupin was standing in front of them.

"Professor Lupin, thank goodness!" Everyone crowded on Lupin for comfort.

They were invited to dine in the Lupin house for lunch. The three of them shuffled inside. Peggy had her hands to her sides, looking all over the place trying to take it in.

"Professor, aren't you going to ask us what we were you doing in this part of the castle?"

"No. Not really. Alice asked me to accompany her to get some Vertemous insegra plant samples. She can't acquire them without my permission slip."

Having said this, Alice produced a parchment from her dress robe and laid it on the table.

"W…what? But you said you- we could get the plant alone. You didn't tell me the Professor was expecting you!"

Alice cleared her throat. "I asked the professor to accompany me, because we can't get to the forbidden forest alone without teacher's supervision. Only idiots would think themselves educationally equipped to go there alone without a capable adults or enough experience."

"After we eat, I could accompany you in getting it. As it happens, there is a wild stock of that plant on the east corner."

Professor Lupin marched then into the swirling forest while his band of students followed behind. His foot firm and sure.

Finally, he stopped on a clearing. People behind him also filed abruptly one by one. "Were here."

They finally arrived into an open turf part of the forest. Trees dotted about here and there but on larger spaces, causing the sun to shine more brightly on the grass-like plant below that spread like a small patch of medows in the vast forrest. It was the Vertemous insegra... like a trying to mine a diamond in a deep black cave. White butterflies fluttered on the surface. But they didn't have to fly far to look, since the whole surface was almost covered with yellow. They all blinked and breathed when they finally saw the refreshing sun after a while of walking in forestry shades.

Beside her, Tonks could hear Peggy gasp as she went on her knees to examine the plants. She couldn't help exclaiming that it was so magical. Alice rolled her eyes and pointed out that they were in fact in a magical school, while she herself took a self-seal biodegradable plastic and whirred her wand to gather the seeds in a one wind whip to land on her plastic. The twirling motion with her wand made the wind whirl it to one spot.

"This is a magical school after all," Lupin affirmed. "Watch."

Remus raised his wand at and some of the dried brown flowers levitated to thin air all around them. Then he made a quick slashing gesture and the flowers broke into tiny pieces that twirled fast in a circular motion so fast, it resembled the rotating taketombo helicopter, preventing them from touching the ground too soon, lingering for far too long swishing back and forth before falling.

"Ingenious. The dried flower hardens then the petals and the seed balances it out making it twirl," said Alice.

Alice zip-sealed the clean rectangular plastic with quick safe seals on the edge. "We've run out of supplies in our herbology greenhouse. This was our only option." answered Alice.

Peggy was busy trying to catch everything with her hands. When that proved futile because the twirling motions did not at all have a straight trajectory, she got her hat and became more productive.

"Well done, Alice. Five points to Ravenclaw."

They went back inside the castle before nightfall with two pounds more of plants and one permission slip on the potions lab good for a week.

"That's the girl. The girl who single-handedly made it first through Defence practical on the lake," the boy's eyes lit up when his friend pointed Violet arrived in the hall.

"I want her," said Laurence.

"We could slip a love potion over her breakfast. Just look at that pie. I'm sure it's the first thing she's going to put in her mouth."

But this plan was proving to be difficult.

Because Violet took one smell of her breakfast.

"Alice, Peggy is selling your rings in the common room. She just stood in front of everyone with a sling box, and everyone's already crowding," said Violet.

It took time for Alice to reply since she was still sipping her morning coffee. "Of course. I put her to it. She's the marketing department of our organization. Besides, you could have asked her yourself. Why did you have to come all the way here? Oh there you are Peggy. How's the business?" said Alice when Peggy arrived.

Peggy grinned and declared. "Sold everything down to the last item." Then she lapsed into cold silence.

"Wait. Are you still both fighting?" asked Tonks.

"No. We're not fighting. But Peggy still has anger issues she needs to attend to."

"You! You!" Peggy turned to her angrily." Why didn't you tell me you were invited to Professor Lupin's house? We could have died! And why are you eating that soup? Everyone hates potato soup day."

"Well, you're not dead, are you? And it wouldn't have happened if you did not insist we come stalking in the first place," replied Alice.

"But you could just told me-" she said as she sat and cut herself a huge slice of pie, attempting to shove it to her mouth. smack. She never got to eat because a whole pie from Alice was thrown to splash in her face.

Peggy stood up from her breakfast and marched in front of Alice. "What d'you do that for?!" She envisioned to be tough, but it was hard when your face was full of white cream. She wringed her hands to splash Alice with it, in efforts to get back.

But Alice had already produced an umbrella to shield her.

"Sorry about that. I was trying to find a way to throw this pie somewhere. Thought it would serve better to shut you up for a bit than end up in the dumpster directly. And clean up will you?" she attempted to group the big crumbs on the floor with the closed umbrella. "After you pestered me to help you with your scourgify, you ought to have learned a thing or two. Ever since you've become my roomate, our dormitory had been a mess."

"Oh yes, I would, but after this-" said Peggy grinning triumphantly before shooting a pie on Alice's direction. Only Alice activated her portkey and she appeared behind Violet, who got the full splash of the whole pie on her face.

Violet paused. Peggy breathed out a little sigh of relief. Of course Violet wouldn't - a second pie came pelting to her.

Violet just did.

Peggy screeched like a cat something that sounded like "Eeeeeiiii" , very irritated that her friends kept throwing pies at her. Also because she still hasn't perfected scourgify.

"Sorry 'bout that. The pie needed to go." Violet gulped her morning milk (her face already pie-clean) then hurriedly darted away before Peggy could do some revenge. But before she could reach out of sight, a pie was thrown at her.

"Haha! Missed me!" she shouted. Every Auror knows how to dodge. Every Auror is well-rounded and trained individuals. But her triumph was short-lived because she stepped on the pie itself while she ran and found herself sliding ,sliding towards the staff table, whereupon she grabbed the only thing she could latch herself into: Lupin's table mantle. Thereby, sending Professor Lupin's soup flying upwards to splatter to his face.

Professor Lupin still looked dignified as he slowly got his handkerchief out. Using both his hands, he wiped his face with it.

"Miss Sharp, detention. 8:00 pm." McGonagall said beside him.

"It's okay Minerva. I'll manage Miss Sharp's detention myself."

"Miss Sharp, see me at my office 7:00 pm, I have some work for you."

.oOo.

Later, in the office.

She was inside Lupin's office again.

Lupin walked inside his office with an apprehensive face,

"Sir, I know I splattered soup on you…" she began…

"I hope I make myself clear on impressing upon you that food is not to be wasted," said Lupin.

"Yes. I was fortunate enough to have that idea impressed upon me a hundred times. Er, can i go now? I'll just pay for the soup."

"Sit down!" Lupin towered over her.

Tonks winced. She abruptly went back to her seat. "Yessir. Understood sir."

"Now I will tell you a story back in the days when I was job-hunting."

"Jobless." Tonks corrected. Not those jobless stories again. He tells it to Teddy everytime he doesn't eat his greens.

"Eat your vegetables, young man."

Teddy looked at his plate warily.

"You know, you're fortunate. Back those days...

"We know dad, we know. You had your last knut, and wanted to buy an egg with it, but unfortunately, it fell on the canal and you went hungry that night."

"No, I was referring to my seashell picking days on the beach to get me a meal."

"I bet those seashells were more tasty," murmured Teddy.

"What's that?"

"Nothing, sir."

"Good boy."

Tonks listened as he drowned on about one of his litanies.

"...I knew I didn't have much resources so I planted vegetables in the back garden. Tasty turnip, tomatoes and potatoes by a bucket load. I was looking forward to making a fine vegetable soup. I had waited for it to ripe, a feast after a month of starvation..."

Lupin had a faraway look in his face, his hand trying to clench on the invisible vegetables.

"Then one day, when I was tired after hours of mountain-hiking, I came back home to find the best of my vegetables gone."

"Why'd you go hiking then if you knew you were starving?" basic Auror training. Don't expend energy on unnecessary mountain hiking if your food supplies are low. Honestly, who doesn't know that?

Lupin shot her a look. "Don't interrupt. Now as I was saying, when I got home, two deluded chimpanzees who thought they knew how to use a pot had already invaded my kitchen," he banged the table bitterly. "They made a horrible soup out of my vegetables. I had to pretend it was tasty for the whole evening. It was so horrible that it took all my self-control to not hurl it on their heads. It was more poisonous than a bad batch of wolfsbane in knockturn alley. I don't even know how I lived through the trauma."

Tonks looked horrified. She remembered a different version of that story very well. It was how she and Sirius were so thoughtful and loving that they wanted to buy him dinner. They would have imperioused him to eat a decent meal, but Moody seemed to always be against it. So they made a dinner out of his vegetable garden. I mean, Molly does it all the time. Gets vegetable from his garden and give him food afterwards. What difference would it be if they were the one to cook? And yeah, it did turn out bad that Sirius went to throw it unceremoniously to the bin concluding with, "let's just order pizza". Merlin, was it really that traumatic? she managed to blurt out anyway, "And the connection of that story to our current issue is... ?"

"That soup I was eating. I was the soup I was supposed to eat that dinner. It was my favourite food out of the Hogwarts Cuisine, and they only make it once a month."

"There's a reason why It's only cooked once a month," muttered Tonks.

.oOo.

"Let me guess. You want me to get this box to the potions lab right now, " said the first year minion whose name was Jasper as Laurence approached him and plonked a box to his lap.

"Yes, yes, hop to it," said Laurence. First years was ideal messenger because if they get caught, they will only claim to have been tricked as opposed to him delivering it on his person.

Unfortunately for them, Teddy was not entirely reading a book in a corner. His sharpened hearing would have earned him a ticket of a shove to the toilet from the Slytherins.

.oOo.

"Ow!" Remus jerked.

"Sorry dad. Grey hairs. Can't have that on your image."

"Interesting sentiment Theodore. I was deeply touched." said Remus, rubbing his head where Teddy just pulled.

.oOo.

"Jasper! Where were you? We've been waiting for this ingredient for ages! We're running out of time!" A higher year boy was tapping his shoes impatiently in the corner before the Potions Lab.

"I know, I know, sorry. Laurence didn't say it was badly needed. Ras, please just don't tell him okay?"

Ras gave him a death glare before turning his heels. Because the death glare was convincing, Jasper scampered away.

But the curious thing was, Ras did not directly go to the potions lab even though he was in a hurry. Actually, he walked rather slowly, selected an inconspicuous trash can in a corner and poured the contents of the box to it, shook it for good measure. Then Ras' face immediately changed into Jasper.

Teddy didn't know it, but this was one turning point of his career if he pulled this off. But for now, all he could think of was the beating of his heart, and a hundred and one ways this could possibly go wrong.

"Yo Jasper, you got Laurence's hair?"

"Right here." Jasper went tiptoes to put the box on the elevated table.

"Close the door behind you, Jas. I just got permit on this place up to six." Jas looked at his watch. It was already past seven.

Teddy closed the door behind him. For of course it was Teddy.

"Done," he whispered to himself and for the first time, flashed a smile more formed.

"Just in case." he whispered.

.oOo.

Making the potion was not really the difficulty. The hard part was still the one where they try to get Violet to drink the potion. One time, Violet was humming in the corridors when Laurence offered him a glass of water.

"Thanks. Just what I needed, " she said with a grin. Then immediately poured the contents to a nearby plant.

"What did you do that for?"

"The plant looked pitiful, you see, people're always prejudice towards it."

"But this is the plant who strangled you during your first day!"

"Not anymore." Then she left.

"Wait!" But Laurence was not able to follow because the plant had already taken a liking to his hand and swallowed it whole.

.oOo.

It was Tuesday when Tonks accidentally slipped on the pie and splattered Lupin with soup all over his face as she skidded to the faculty table. Wednesday, Alice and Peggy we're already selling the pictures of boggart Lupin on ripped up jeans with a Weird Sisters T-shirt ("Boggart of Celebrated Auror Harry and Professor Snape in a drag also available!"- said the sign on their box). The frames of which were the same as chocolate frog card collectibles only theirs were labelled Hidden Limited Edition and with a different colour (unsurprisingly, it was welcomed very fervently among the student body). They were mobbed by a lot of girls who thought that war heroes were the new fad, but normal chocolate frog cards wasn't enough.

Lupin arrived at the scene and asked random students why there was a throng of people over there. The student, well apparently almost all of them when he asked the next one, was not very keen on displaying their loot or getting detention, so refrained from telling him and edged away from his approaching figure. They looked like a bunch of gnomes scurrying and scattering away from him whenever he got near their proximity. Fortunately, he caught one.

"Stevens, what is going on and why are you all running away from me?" he laid a comforting hand on his shoulder to assure the boy that he was a friend. Also so he could not run for escape.

"Ahh, err, I... IT WASN'T ME PROFESSOR! I was just just strolling, I'm innocent."

"Yes, nobody is questioning that. I just want to know what is happening."

"Over there," said Stevens. He bit his lip at the apparent betrayal of a student body secret.

"Sorry, but that's 80 knuts, take it or leave it. And decide quickly! Before Professor Lupin comes waltzing downstairs with a hoard of detention slips."

He went ahead to the direction and the crowed cleared in his wake.

Professor Lupin cleared his throat.

The mob cleared, you would have expected him to see Alice and Peggy still handing out cards. But as Alice has a reputation to uphold, and she can't have her friend… er… ally…er… hired employee locked up in detention tower, they both of them immediately made a run for it. Peggy dropped something from the mess of cards she was holding in her box but when she turned her head, Alice ushered it on after whispering, "collateral damage" by which she meant, "you are more important than the item lost."

All Professor Lupin found was a single card that depicted a picture of him on jeans and t-shirt that said, 'Weird is Arbitrary'. While his thoughts on the slogan might have been unvoiced, there was another unvoiced thought he did not have to voice out in order for others to hear. Violet Sharp.

Violet Sharp, who was busy slurping her chicken soup with noodles contentedly until a shadow darkened it, was forced to look up to the towering figure of Professor Lupin.

"Violet Sharp, my office, now," said Professor Lupin.

So before she could shove another forkful of that wonderful tasty soup, she marched to follow Lupin instead.

.oOo.

Professor Lupin sat himself behind his desk and assumed his calm face. He place the picture on the desk.

"Well, do you have anything to say for yourself?" said Lupin.

"I.. I…I think you look really great in jeans and shirts."

"Were you responsible for the distribution of these cards?"

"No. I have never seen those cards."

"Then why does it have, 'Already a property of Violet Sharp.' in the back?"

Probably not a good time to mention to Lupin she told Peggy to save her a copy before they sold it to the general public.

"It's not my handwriting. It's a set-up to frame me."

'Sir…

.oOo.

"Where have you been?" Alice looked up from her smuggled laptop.

"Just finished trying to wiggle my way out of detention again."

"When are you going to tell him?" said Alice.

Violet looked at her suspiciously. "Why should I tell him anything?"

"Because it's glaring obvious. When you went out to convince him to wear the scarf, you wanted to show off your power over him, even though you could have just let the incident go."

"I admit I did want to know if I could convince him even if I wasn't his wife, but there was nothing foul there. I just-"

"-used psychology on how to handle and convince Lupin based on your extensive experience? Offered him a cup of chocolate first before speaking?"

"How did you know?" said Violet.

"I saw a chocolate wrapper of it in our room. I also noticed the same wrapper on his desk. I went there in the pretext of why the kappas decided to live in Japanese bogs instead of our own just after you went inside the common room to declare he was going to wear the scarf."

"So why did the kappas decided to live in Japan?"

"Stop trying to change the subject. The Kappas didn't decide for themselves. We have our own breed of Kappas, but they all died down because they couldn't live outside their lakes, and they couldn't live without cucumbers. And since nobody felt the need to throw anything in the lake, they all died down here. My point is, how did you know where to find that particular brand of chocolate if you weren't closely related to him?"

Violet shrugged. "I could have easily stolen it from his supplies and used it as a gift."

"So when are you going to tell Professor Lupin?"

"I'll wait for him to figure it out. Besides, I'm not even supposed to be here. Over-attachment is something not tolerated. In normal cases, I would be taken out of the case as soon as a family member or a relative is closely connected. But the Ministry did not have a choice. So here I am. It's probably better that my love life is not in the way of business."

"Speaking of which? How is your endeavor with Laurence?" said Alice.

"I've been trying to avoid him. If he thinks I'm easy to get, he'll get tired of me immediately. I need to make him work for it."

"Like not eating those love-potion induced pies. I had to hit Peggy in the face a couple of times to stop her from eating."

"Couldn't you just have told her?" asked Violet.

"And risk being heard by Laurence and co. That I know better than I let on? Not really a good thing. The best thing you could do is to lie or hide about your abilities. That way, your enemies can't predict what you're going to do next."

"That's also another reason why I'm not that keen on immediately becoming Laurence's girlfriend."

"If I may as, (just for a future reference in case I need information on this area) is that how you bagged Professor Lupin? You played hard-to-get even though such an intellectual man as himself would mean you had a lot of competition?"

"Ahh, something like that," said Violet uncomfortably. "Anyway, It's no use. Even if we could get out of the labs with our memories, the entrance still changes every meeting. We still haven't figured out a plan to make other people without the identification to be able to enter."

"I can get you in," said Alice.

"When?" asked Violet.

"Tonight."

"It's here. I've crossed-referenced all the available maps. It's not quantum physics, but it seems that the next opening portal will be the one with jumping signals, because of the space shift. You could study the place yourself so you can lead the actual raid."


	10. Tonks in Trouble

"You. Yes you!" Violet pointed a finger at Laurence. "You've been putting love potion in my food."

"So what if I am? It's a very potent potion too. You won't even know what you're doing."

"It's not going to work on me mister," then she went back inside the doors of their dormitory.

"I can get your potion to work for you," said Alice behind him. "For a fee, of course."

Laurence started out of shock. "Stop sneaking behind people's back. You're scaring the crap out of me. It's against the rules of the school. And how did you know I was planning that?" said Laurence.

Alice rolled her eyes. "You've been pouring obvious-smelling potions on our part of the table, I had to go through that horrible soup one time just to have my dinner. It's not even close to cardboard rocket science figuring it out."

"What do you want?" said Laurence.

"I can give you an additional product." Alice took out a flask from one of her bags. "Just put this in your love potion, so you don't need Violet to drink it. You can drink it yourself. After that, you will smell with the thing Violet likes the most. No love will be lost between us."

"You're selling your friend to me?"

Alice shrugged. "Why not?" She watched as her classmate accepted the potion and went to his room to mix his concoction.

Alice was curious. Hogwarts was a very big place. And sometimes, people get lost in it. That was why a tracing system was cast into the whole castle. And if you just get the spells right, you could make a map to show where everyone in the castle was. Just like GPS. Only here, it wasn't illegal, because the Wizarding community is behind technological and humanistic evolution. They were idiots who got lazy with swishing their wands.

Peggy came out of professor Lupin's office after her detention and headed back to the common room.

"It was horrible... the Professor he..." said Peggy.

"What did he do to you?" asked Violet.

"He...he made me do lines... I had to- " she gulped, "had to finish a whole parchment."

"That's not so bad."

"He let me choose between three pens," said Peggy. "The first one made you laugh hysterically when you use it. The second one made you itch all over. And the third one made you dance in your feet. And he said if I didn't finish, I'd have to clean to Grindilow tanks."

Everyone shivered. Nobody wants to be sentenced to the Grindilow tanks.

"So you finished the parchment, right?" said Violet.

"No..." Peggy clutched the front of her robes. "I gave up halfway! Violet, It's your turn now. You mustn't give in. You must be strong and courageous and endure."

Beside them, from the boy's dormitory, Laurence appeared to have come down from the stairs. He immediately made a beeline where Violet was sitting. Violet looked up to him with a different expression. It was not the fierce and feisty one he used to see every day. No. The eyes that were staring at him right now was dreamy. Her soft eyelashes blinked at him slowly and she tilted her head questioningly.

"You smell like," she started to speak. "…like, chocolate, parchment and books, in a dingy library. Oh, I get it, you smell like a coffee shop. No. A coffee shop will have new books. You smell like the library full of musty and dusty old books, only it was a library where chocolate is not banned. With cream and burnt marshmallows and wafer and chocolate fudge toppings. Makes you want to hide in one shelf nook and just lick secretly and stickily."

"Where are you going?" said Laurence.

"I suddenly want to eat books, and I want to.. I want to..." Violet sniffed the air and put both her hands forward as if trying to hold the chocolate smell. She walked forward as if she was hit by a confundus charm. "Must. Eat. Must. Eat."

Violet Sharp climbed out the common room door. Insatiable craving for Chocolate. She could smell it. The heightened smell of cocoa aroma was guiding her through the corridors.

"And she's gone," observed Alice.

"What on earth happened? You said the potion would work!" said Laurence.

Somebody was impatiently knocking in the door. And without waiting for an answer, the student swung it open.

"Violet," he said flatly.

"Yes sir."

"Come over here." Violet went over.

"Today you're going to-" he was cut off by a patronous.

A patronous entered the room (it came from the window) to interrupt his predicted long-standing telling off. "Mate, you gotta see this," came the excited voice of one Sirius Black. "Just jump off your window like a good boy."

"Excuse me," said Lupin. "I have to go out for a while." And by go out, he meant, really go out of the castle as in like, using the window. He grabbed hold of the window frame to swing one leg on it, then his back was to Violet. They were probably a thousand feet above ground but he jumped out anyway. And Lupin was gone. Violet was left alone in the room.

"What is it you want to show me Sirius, that you had to meet me in the window, " said Lupin irritably enough. He was wiping the dust off the coat of his shoulder.

"I can't believe you just said that. I can't believe you just-"

"What is it? Time is running."

"You just fell from the window and landed on it. You're sitting on it you moron."

Lupin looked around where he was sitting. "I believe we're sitting on a muggle car."

"A sports car who I just charmed into flying, yes."

"Don't tell me. You're going to now say, 'James would have squeaked in glee.' 'James would have danced tango like a cancan and made cartwheels while baking apple pies in the mouth of a gringots dragon...' what was that you always used to tell me?"

"I was going to, but you said it first. And I change my statement. It should have been, 'Tonks would have squeaked in glee.'" Sirius flew the car a little higher to be in level with the window. (He was previously below, so as not to spoil the supposed surprise.) "You know what, get your big head out of the way." Sirius leaned forward while Remus went to the side to make room for him, since his head was between the window and Sirius. "Tonks! Tonks! I've got a baby to show you!"

"Tonks is not there," said Lupin quietly.

Something was amiss. He knew it the moment that Violet was no longer in her seat. Heavem knows what kind of damage dhe could do unnattended.

"Wait a minute. Sirius, fly me closer. I need to go back to my office."

At first, Violet sat innocently swinging her legs in the chair, and humming.

In one corner, there was this beautiful glass jar that provided her a full view of chocolates with gold, red and green shiny wrappers, all full of lustre and begging for her attention.

But then, oh heck. If Lupin was going to give her the tormented quills, she might as well eat like it's her last meal.

One, two, three chocolate wrappers lay on the floor. Just one more… hmmm… just one more and I'll stop. But when her hands went into the jar again, it was already empty. A slight panic filled her system. She had stepped the line of Lupin's hospitality. She had eaten too much.

But then again, it wasn't as if there were many in the jar. It was only a third full. She saw that. Or maybe a bit more than that, she can't be sure. In fact, it was not enough. Not enough in the jar. Not enough chocolate. If there was just one more bar in there, it would have been alright.

Her eyes started to wander across the room. Out of all the paintings her eyes could see, there was a square one curiously boring. It only had a picture of boorish big books that could have you asleep with just looking at their sheer size.

She decided to go for that one. Since if she was about hiding something lustful, she's probably hide it in something innocuous too. Like that painting over there.

She touched the surface to search for signs of hidden lock. The big book on the painting sprang to life and opened its pages. The book had the word "password" written across it.

"Hmmm," Tonks had to think. What would Remus use as a password for his most treasured possession?

Five guesses later, the door swung open to reveal the treasure. Complete with lights and celestial music.

If I just get one piece, he would never notice it was missing.

Ten minutes later, she was already chewing the face of a particular Belgium chocolate slab (80% cocoa). Half of it was still hanging in her mouth. She heard footsteps approaching.

Remus looked at his office at large and noticed there was something a little off. Violet was not in her seat. The Chocolate Jar. He suddenly realized he had left it openly displayed and vulnerable on top of the desk and outside his drawers, But he was so wrong. It was ten times worse than the jar.

A trail of chocolate wrappers scattered on the floor. He followed carefully and it inevitably lead to a hidden corner of his shelves. He arrived at the scene of the crime with the culprit still sitting on a pile of wrappers.

Violet gulped the rest of her chocolate when she looked up and saw the face of Professor Lupin.

Lupin looked from her dirty mouth who just swallowed a half slab, to the opened vault to the right then to the colourful wrappers on the floor.

"Explain yourself."

"Professor, I'm sorry… I got tempted. It was tasty, and it melt in my mouth-"

She decided to get herself off the hook in a roundabout way. "And I was deprived of Chocolate when I was a child. I kept looking on the window of Honeydukes on a rainy day craving for that one chocolate I couldn't even dream of eating. But it was only after ten years of hard work that I was able to buy one." Tonks recited. It ought to work. That was his own life story on why he's got chocolate addiction. She was pushing her luck thus far.

"And honestly, at his your age right now, I was doing you a favour. Helping you finish it so you don't get diabetes."

One hour later, Remus sat on his chair gazing at her. Eyes unblinking and silent.

Then, very slowly, he started to eat one of his chocolates. One after another he opened colorful wrappers, cracking hard brittle slabs into his mouth. Silver foils crunched, each revealing a different treat inside. Some were puffy soft that had soft gooey in the middle, some had rocky surfaces you thought it was just full of tidbits, but when you bite it off, you find it was all chocolate through and through.

Next, he cracked a slice of the solid brittle chocolate bar and dropped it to the fudge. He opened wrapper after wrapper of small pieces of chocolates and laid it down to the plate, making a chocolate fondue. Then he went to chuck all of those on the cup too.

He set a transparent cup before him and tapped his wand for an aguamenti. then he proceeded to add the chocolate and stir it with the wand that was above it. Then added cream. Merlin, how he knew all the household spells. Wafer and fudge were added next. After that, he went and cast a freezing charm on the cup until it was fizzing with creamy coldness.

Then he conjured a spoon, and slowly, slowly, very hesitant, he dipped the spoon to his cup of perfection.

"Don't even think about it. You are not going to have any."

Violet sat across his desk, licking her lips in envy.

"But professor, it's black in there! There are doxys and the dust is at least an inch thick," said Violet.

"I know," said the professor, "Now go and brush those cells."

She stomped noisily as she headed for the Grindilows.

Then Remus could hear her say, "bugger, bugger, bugger…didn't even give me a chance at the quills..."

"Professor! These stains won't come off."

"Don't you know at least a few household spells?" came Remus' non-commital to teach reply.

"Oh, sod it!" she strode forward. "Imma modern woman," she bellowed loudly. "And as is, I don't need -" she kicked some cage door and tangled her foot, landed to the ground with a thud. She didn't finish her sentence.

Lupin mused at the apparent stupidity of marrying someone who hasn't even learned how to tie her shoelaces. "need help?" he told her.

"M'alright, just some broken bones," said a muffled voice meters away from him.

Violet gazed upwards on his face. He was bending down over and was trying to keep a straight face, his lips hreatening to curve into a smile.

"Well, what are you doing? Aren't you gonna help me up?" was her acid reply.

"I thought you were a modern woman who-"

"JUST HELP ME UP!"

"Of course."

Violet felt a hand on both her arms heave her up to sitting position. He then proceeded to examine her, murmuring short spells to patch her up.

"Shoelaces," he said; on his knees to tie her shoelaces. "Your shoelaces are loose. That's why you always trip." It would have been romantic, except Tonks was holding a dirty mop in one hand and a dirty rag on the other. "You should seal it with magic so it doesn't get loose. You always seem to forget," Lupin said kindly, as he worked on the knots.

"Thanks, I thought you were-"

Then all of a sudden, she fell flat to the ground again. Lupin had pulled her leg. "Quit pulling my leg Nymphadora. All these times you want me to masquerade as a complete idiot."

"What are you talking about?" said Violet. "I am a repeater. From Beauxbatons. That's why I'm already an expert on some wand techniques. Beauxbatons wouldn't have me back since I already repeated for so many times so I transferred to Hogwarts, and took an aging potion, that's why I look young. I already have a son. Out of wedlock, thank you very much. Not everyone is as self-righteous as you. And that was that. Everything I made, it was legal. "

Horror flashed briefly across his features.

But Violet stood up too. Not after laughing violently. "And who's Nymphadora?! Your pet cat that had to die in shame for having such a ninny first name?" Except she could hardly get that sentence out, clutching her stomach from laughing, she could barely breath.

But before Lupin could make an annoyed reply, the door opened with a bang.

Alice appeared on the opening. "Violet! What are you doing here wasting time?"

She went over the Violet and whispered to her ear. "Meet me in the eastwing just below the potions door. The entrance will be there tonight."

She made a run for it, intending to go back to the dorm and get her broom to go to the eastwing through the window with her broom, but Lupin was faster, and his stride were longer. He made for her direction to block her escape. "I don't think so." Lupin was aiming to stand between her and the door.

"Right!" Violet's eyes became alert. She thrashed the mop to the floor and dashed to slide out the door before Lupin. And she was out running, oblivious to the Professor calling behind her.

Violet was running through the corridors. Laurence Evans' trace seem to lead her upward and upward on uncharted corridors that appeared to not be on the map. It was just there. The trace. But it was not there in the map. But she had to follow it.

"Wait!" came the voice of Professor Lupin from behind. When Violet showed no signs of stopping, he cast a spell to conjure an invincible wall to block her escape.

Tonks struck straight to it with an "Ow", like bumping over a glass door. She fell backwards on the floor, her butt, landing first with a thud. She waived for the blocking wall to disappear, and casted a slapdash dillushionment charm on herself to make her fresh escape.

But Remus' spell was quick. "Oh, no you don't," with one mighty horizontal swish with his arm (that looked cool and forcefull), Remus sent white powder raining all over the place until he could see her form under the Dillushionment charm. Then he shot her a hex to try to bind her body.

Tonks was quick in her defence reflexes. She got so her arms wouldn't be part of the bind by raising it above her head, and made her wand act as scissors. both of them turned on each other. The spells got dirtier and uglier. It was a competent and skilled person he was facing. He shot stunning spells that looked more dangerous every second.

Tonks blocked and blocked, not wanting to seriously injure the opposite party, hoping she would not be caught red-handed.

"Stupefy!"

"Protego dimis!"

"Cunfundus"

"Expelliarmus!", said Lupin.

Lupin grabbed her in the waist.

When Remus finally caught her, he lifted the Delushionment charm. He faced the culprit who was glaring at him with gritted teeth and unrepentant eyes.

Violet writhed free, kicking and moving her hand when she could, but Lupin's grip was strong. "Let go! Let go!"

"Too noisy." He clamped a hand to her mouth.

It was unfortunate enough that Snape happened to be passing that way. "What," said Snape, stopping in his funeral walk when his face saw the tableau. "...are you doing?"

"Evening, Severus. I was just catching this girl from trouble-making. She was making a dash for it so I had to grab her," said Lupin breathlessly. "Isn't that right Violet?"

"Violet!" repeated Remus.

Violet nodded frantically to agree.

"Calling her would have sufficed. Don't cover her mouth. I'm sure that the girl could speak for herself." Snape looked suspicious again. But then again, he always looks suspicious at everyone.

Lupin sighed resignedly. "Fine." And Violet was put back to the safe ground.

Snape frowned for the last time and strode off with his robes bellowing.

Tonks backed away slowly. "I think I really need to leave. Because I'm in so much trouble, and you're really angry at me right now. I'll come back when you're in a better mood." She squeezed herself past to the corridor. "Laterz," said Tonks as she scampered away.

"Come back Nymphadora!"

"Don't call me Nymphadora!" She shouted back as she ran. She was screwed. It was out of this world. they were going to get a divorce, then Lupin was going to murder her. But maybe she could live a few more hours by escaping.

"Out of the way! Out of the way!" Tonks shoved everyone in the common room to scramble her way to the girl's dormitory where there was a protective hex not allowing men to enter. Her stomach was churning when she rocked herself to her bed. Relax, we're safe in here. Boys can't go in. It's against the enchantment.

Just a few minutes after, he could hear Lupin outside, breathless. "Has anyone seen Nymph- I mean Miss Sharp?"

"I think she just went inside sir," said one of her classmates.

"Will you fetch her for me. And if she doesn't come. Use force."

"I wonder what's she done now." The students muttered.

Tonks could hear footsteps coming up her floor. The door opened with force but they arrived too late.

"Professor. She's gone," said the students. They came back below the common room empty-handed.

Because the metamorphagus had already flung the window open and flew out with her broom into the darkness of the night.


	11. Infiltration

Tonks deposited herself on the window of an unused classroom. Safe for now. They were going round and round in circles, and she felt a little panicky by the fact that there was no place to hide, and that Lupin could very well appear just round the corner since he looking all over for her in the school.

But business come first before anything else (after family, that is)Alice had said this the portal entrance point was in the fourth floor south wing. She decided to get her broom from her room and go there via window route. Just outside this room below a few steps of stairs just for elevation stood the potions room whose side-wardrobe was allegedly being used as the portal entrance point.

Slowly, she creaked a fraction of the door open...

"Remus...I-," Tonks opened her mouth to speak, Remus had already grabbed her. He had been waiting outside the classroom for a while and was ready to grab her when she came out.

Remus murmured a body-bind spell, and this time, she wasn't able to break free. Immediately, her movements became less erratic.

"Got you." said Lupin holding the bundle that was Tonks against him to stop it from escaping. Tonks writhed like a flobberworm "Be quiet. The whole school will hear."

"Please don't murder me. I bore you your son. That ought to count for something. Don't divorce me either. I'll do the dishes for three days."

"Don't be ridiculous, Dora. Divorce is too expensive."

"Yes, but couldn't we swap? You could handle the freaking paper-work and I'd just cover the expenses."

"No."

"No? Phew. Thought I was a goner. You were so angry. Like you were on werewolf-mode and you were going to rip out my intestines, then string it up on the quiditch rings."

"Don't be ridiculous Dora. Although…"

Violet tilted her head. "Although..?"

"You need to be punished for this," said Lupin.

"Arrrggg stop it!" Lupin had heaved her like a sack on her shoulders. "I'll have you know, I'll report this harassment." She kicked desperately, but Lupin just rolled his eyes and held her steady.

"Quiet." Lupin suddenly said sharply. Tonks knew better than to disobey when Remus sounded like that. Then, on cue, the noise began again. It was coming from a spare potions lab a little further down the stairs, at that time of the night where everything ought to be black as crimson. They were on the north wing of the castle: a place that is relatively uninhabited... are making sounds that are too humanly sounding for anyone to not be suspicious.

He settled her down to stand in the ground, while he held a rope to keep Tonks from worming away as he moved forward. Then he peered out from behind the door. Tonks made little jumps with her remaining feet that wasn't bound, to follow Remus and see what he was trying to spy on.

"Remus, Remus." Tonks whispered.

"What is it?" said Lupin.

"I've got an itch on my nose." said Tonks.

"This is not the time!"

"Bloody cow if you didn't body-bind me, it wouldn't be."

Remus ignored her.

"Seriously. It's itchy."

He finally consented to taking a hanky out of his pockets and wiped Tonks face with it. Then he settled one hand on her shoulder and the other one on her mouth to stop her from further talking.

Inspite of misgivings, Lupin was forced untie Tonks. The moment she was free of her bounds, she immediately made to lunge forward to the noise.

A hand grabbed her arm. "What are you doing?" said Remus furiously.

"Come to risk my neck to investigate. What else?" she spat back.

"I will go with you," said Remus. It wasn't a request.

"Pshaw. Civilians get clear. This could get bloody," said Tonks.

Remus stare at her with one of his reprimanding looks. His jaw clenched, as if daring her to argue.

Tonks glared back at him. "Do you know why Kingsley didn't want to give me this assignment? Do you know that I had to grovel at his feet and kiss his shoes just so he would bend the rules?" Not exactly true, because Kingsley himself had no choice, but he'll tell Remus that later. Common work ethics demand never to be assigned near relatives. Aurors who married each other are assigned to different missions because of obvious biases in judgements and over-familiarity.

"I can imagine," said Remus. "I suppose he mentioned that Order mission we had at the pub. Maybe if you had a shred of decency, you would not have overdone it."

"Overdone it?! I was awesome. I made Mad-eye happy. I made Kingsley happy. All my superiors were happy. I was making him twirl in my little fingers to roast him for breakfast. You were the only one morose. You were always gloomy, I thought it was normal."

"You were striping," he said quietly.

"I wasn't going to strip. I was scratching my armpits. Oh, did it provoke you? Serves you right for messing with me, and for not agreeing to become my boyfriend. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to enter that building."

But Lupin's hand was firm. "We both go, and that is the end of the matter."

They crouched outside the wardrobe door with Lupin holding her against him by the waist. Tonks was about to protest about the apparent lack of professionalism of this, but Lupin covered her mouth again.

Just outside their door they could hear voices of some people talking inside.

"No. I don't want to do this anymore. The potion were making, I don't think it's right." said a girl whose voice was trembling. It was Peggy's.

"No. It's just a tonic. Just keep on helping me brew it, and you'll get all the money." said another voice.

"But why am I not allowed to tell them that were making this?"

"Because I'm not sure if we can trust them yet. It's our secret. Here. Drink this."

"What is it? You've been very disobedient already. The potion's effect must be waning."

"I don't want to. I want go back to my room." Peggy went to open the door. But she gasped as a different scene arrested her eyes. "What happened? Where is my bed? Where is the dormitory?! If this is some sort of witchcraft you're pulling, I'm telling you now, you won't get away with it!"

The door was left ajar when Peggy pushed it open. They took that as an opportunity to slip inside. Once they were inside, they had to blink.  
They found themselves in a bigger full-fledged potions lab.

Cauldrons of brimming liquid boiled and steamed in one corner. Complex instruments that could measure the tiniest difference in the element of the ingredients, lined up in different pegs.

To her horror, there were people who were dressed as muggles. They were in white dress robes with plastic gloves in their hands tweaking and pottering over some glassware instruments that she's never seen before.  
"Why are these people dressed as muggles?"  
"No," said Remus when the sudden realization dawned on him. "They are not dressed as muggles. They are muggles."

"Bloody Merlin. We're in big trouble."


	12. The Underground Conglomerate

Muggles. There were actual muggles inside a room full of levitating cauldrons with concoction inside them brimming and smoking. As to how far the net had spread is anybody's guess. She had to get a profile of all the people inside this building. Let the Obliviation department trace them one by one and wipe their traces. It would be a massive work but it needed to be done. As soon as she gets all the necessary information. Lupin and Tonks looked at each other. She nodded in silence. Then they retreated back into the shadows.

Tonks watched as Alice crossed his arms smugly, leaning on the wall. "Why don't you drink this potion Peggy, and I'll bring you back to your room," she motioned to the potion on the nearby table.

Peggy gulped. "No. I..I'll just have to walk. I'm sure this is not far from the castle..."

"Your bravery and stupidity is commending. But you've no other choice really. The forbidden forest is formidable by day, let alone at twilight. You'll die by the morning. I'll only send you home if you drink the potion. "

Peggy was crying now. "I suppose... I suppose I don't really have much choice." She took the potion and drank. After drinking it, Peggy relaxed and blinked.

"You feel better now?" Alice asked softly.

"Yes Alice."

"Now let's go and finish this batch, so you can go home," Alice patted her in the head.

Peggy immediately obeyed. She went to one of the beds and closed her eyes.

"Let's get out of here and call for back-up," said Lupin. Very desirous for safety.

"No, I have to get files, some sort of idea on how things work around here. Hang on, since when did you value safety? You used to march to the gates of the Malfoys during their dinner just to get their latest plans."

"Not dinner. They were having breakfast actually, and that's not the point. You should go. I would retrieve the papers and just follow behind."

"Like hell I would let that happen."

"Nymphadora, this is hardly the time for arguments!" said Remus, losing his cool.

Tonks gripped his arm to calm him, she found herself pleading. "Merlin." She whispered suddenly as a flock of students headed towards their direction, Remus was quick to pin both of them as close to the wall. Her heartbeat quickened, but soon the flock of people finally dispersed and they were alone again.

Lupin, so relieved at finding them both safe kissed her full in the mouth. And he cared not that they were standing in the middle of the enemy's lair with their heads in the gallows. Or perhaps it was entirely because of that.

Then he grabbed her hand and immediately headed for the doors. He immediately pried it open, pulling it open with one great swift, but when she did, the corridor was gone. "Whoa!" She couldn't suppress a shout from the shock. "How many times does this portals change?!" She instinctively took a step backwards. Before her just outside the door was the vast expanse of space she guessed must be the sky. Clouds and mist and sun immediately flooded the room from where she stood. Down below, phantoms and phantoms deep, she guessed must be the ground. Because it looked green.

"Great View!" she said aloud above the noisy wind.

It was not the exit anymore. Remus pulled Tonks away from the door the moment he looked down himself.

The most they could do was clear out of the way as people who run the facility walked to and fro. It was a steady drop downhill. And I am not pleased to say it's going to take another dive under.

It was the time Violet chose to demonstrate his lack of motor skills. She slipped, and down came a handful of cauldrons along with him. That much noise could have invited a dozen hippogriffs to check their territories even if it was not mating season. The invisibility cloak got buried in the mound of cauldrons, and when she decided to tug it, it ripped into place.

She silently cursed herself for not bringing Alice's rings.

"Look out!" A yellow spell came to target Remus clean in the head.

They were discovered.

Violet raised her arm to shield him just in time for the spell to graze her hand and harmlessly change direction slightly to the left.

"Ow-ow-ow," Violet wringed her fingers. Lupin clenched his jaw disapprovingly when he saw her wince in pain. But his attention was directed elsewhere when Violet cried, "there he is!"

Only one of the gurads were alerted. Good.

Remus flicked his wand to shield-drop the next series of spells that rained their way. The guard gazed dismally at the two formidable figures before him. Both Remus and Violet had already reached an agreement to use the the twin dragon maneuver ( a dual defence duel technique that I haven't got time to explain the expanded particulars of due to narrative constraints). That is, when your position is not surrounded and your enemy is concentrated in one direction force, one person is to set up the shields for protection while the other will go on the aggressive mode. That way, their task is more precise and focused.

Remus and Tonks were steadily advancing. Dissuaded by the series of spells the he was setting loose.

Tonks smiled. One more sweep and he was down on the floor. Tonks turned around to give Lupin a bright smile. Only for the smile to fade when they heard more heavy footsteps stomping on both sides of the corridor. Any moment, Wizards would flood through where they were ans see that there were two intruders amongst their mist.

"There's only one thing to do," said Tonks, putting her wand vertically at the center of her face.

Violet looked at Lupin and held him at wand point. She grabbed both Remus' hands to his back, and tucked his wand in the hidden pockets of his robes.

About seven men appeared in different bends and went to circle them.

"I caught this intruder lounging over the cauldrons. He's a spy from the castle," said Violet, pushing Remus on her knees.

The guards were skeptical. But then Laurence himself went over to examine the ruckus. "Violet!" He held out both his hands in welcome.

"It's alright, just bring him to the cellar, we'll deal with him later," said Laurence to one of the guards.

Violet looked a little bit wistfully as the men turned their backs and disappeared in a corner carrying Lupin with them, presumably to deposit him to one of the cellars.

"Violet?" a voice from behind her sounded. She turned around and plastered her most cheerful smile.

Laurie smiled playfully back. "What are you doing here?"

She could tell the truth. I am an Auror agent, you can kiss my badge. You're under arrest for human traficking, breaking the muggle code of secrecy..."I was just waltzing in one of the spare rooms when I got curious. I didn't know there was a full facility waiting inside. What on earth is happening?"

"So... Professor Lupin found our secret doorway. It's probably about time to change our stations," said Laurence.

"Change stations?" said Violet. Keep information flowing. Bad information. Very bad. This thing could hide forever under their noses if they kept changing the door connections.

"Yes. We've been using floo powder on doors to infiltrate the school. Actually, this facility is found in the middle of nowhere. The moment Auror sniffs this, we immediately cut the connection by stopping the powder supply. Come here. I'll show you."

He showed her the cauldrons all lined up stirring and brewing themselves. And in the middle of it stood Alice, conducting everything with her wand as the baton.

"Alice! You're behind this?"

Alice rolled his eyes. "I'm getting tired of this. You've said that a hundred times, it's becoming quite tiresome. "

"Yeah, she's already told you that a million times," echoed Peggy.

"Let me guess. I got obliviated, " said Violet.

Laurie grinned. "Yes"

"You know, the ministry will stick it's nose considering the fact that this is illegal."

"Yes, some of the aspects of this projects is a tad elligal. But I couldn't hire witches and wizards. None of them have the skillset I needed to accomplish this. I Had to hire help from the outside.

"Anyway, I had to obliviate all the people I transact with so there won't be any evidence... we also had to hide the whole production here so people won't just come snooping around... which reminds me... I have to deal with the Professor."

He walked the length back to the prison room.

"What are you going to do with Professor Lupin?"

Laurie raised his wand, ready to strike. Before he could move any further, Violet rushed forward to engulf him into a kiss.

She smiled warmly at him. "Listen Laurence, Could you just include me in this badass venture of yours? I'm kinda itching for something going on in this boorish school."

"...maybe..." he hesitated, still under the spell of the kiss. "It's probably time you get back to your dorm."

Laurence leaned in for another kiss. "Nope. Not so fast. I don't want second kisses."

Violet heard Laurence's voice. At the moment though all she was thinking was to get away from the unfamiliar terrain where bamboozles of traps that might make her insurance effective immediately.

Violet smiled warmly at him. "There's no need for that. I can keep your secret." She rushed forward kiss him in the cheek.

"Maybe..." said Laurie sounding indecisive. "But can you see yourself out love? I've got some things to finish."

"Sure can do. Where's the exit?" asked Violet.

"Okay, three turns to the left." Violet hid herself the moment Laurence took his eyes off her. He himself went to leave the prison place.

The door opened, and Remus could hear Tonks' hiss from the darkness.

"Remus! Remus! still alive?"

"If you keep shouting like that, not for long."

"Well, you're still talking, that's good enough. Let's go. I already know the exit."

Three turns to the left later, they arrived in the room with zero trouble. Which was weird. The room was weird in itself. It was full of doors each with number labels and names below the numbers. It didn't take them long enough to locate some familiar places, like forbidden forest Eastcoast side, or Hogwarts Castle Northwing Tower. And the numbers above them were weird too. Instead of numbering it starting with 1 up to 1000 or whatever how many lists, it was numbers separated with dots like, .

And there were stacks of floo bags all over. It was a fair guess that they were gonna use floo powder for transportation.

"Remus, why is the colour of this floo blue?"

"I suspect it is one of their new designs again."

"Yeah? But why is it blue?"

When they threw the fire to the entrance, they immediately knew why. It was blue fire. And blue fire means they couldn't pass without drinking a cold drought, which was placed conveniently in one of the shelves.

Remus volunteered to go first, arguing that it was relatively safe, since those were the instructions given to them. He drank the potion and headed for the door, as soon as he saw the potion taking effect and putting his whole body in an envelope of special cooling charm to dispel the flames.

"Not so fast Violet!" Laurie has caught up with her in the room. Tonks resisted the urge to roll her eyes, displaying instead a flashing smile. He went beeline to her and kissed her straight on the lips.

"What was that for?" asked Violet, resisting the urge to punch him.

"Because you see, when you go through that door, you aren't going to remember anything. I might as well make the best of it now."

"Remember nothing?"

"Of course. The potion is laced with clean memory charms. Nobody leaves this place without their memory not obliterated," said Laurence.

"Oh, not again..." That was the last thing she said before she fell back to the blue flames, still grasping the potion vial still in her hand.

"Yeah, well you also said that last time," said Laurence.


	13. Violet's Woes

Laurence had made an entrance in the great hall. He stopped in front of Violet and kneeled in view of the whole school as the audience. "Violet Sharp, would you go out with me?"

Violet looked straight into Lupin's eyes. "Yes. Yes I would."

* * *

"Have you heard the new rumour?"

"What is it?"

"Professor Lupin! He's transferred over to the faculty's quarter, and Teddy was recently moved to the boy's dormitory."

"But I thought he was already living inside the castle."

"Nay. The guesthouse was apparently too far and too big, Teddy and the Professor just rattle around."

"Only two of them? I thought he had a wife."

"Apparently, Professor Lupin's wife is not coming home anymore. Heard she left her for some hunky dude off the islands of Tahiti."

"Figures," said the boy. "Saw his wife once, was too beautiful to be tied down to a bloke like him. Must have been bored with him."

"Professor, professor, professor."

Remus looked over who the person was in the door, frowned when he saw who it was, then the door slammed close to Violet's face.

"Who was that?"

"No one. Just a student."

"Don't you.. You know.. Have to let her in and teach her stuff?"

But Sirius opened the door anyway, so she skipped inside without a problem.

"You can be annoying sometimes," said Sirius hypocritically.

Sirius and Tonks were inside his office again. And when both of them decide to coerce him into doing something, like say, a marriage contract, he was sure to be dragged off with his hands and feet bound. Now he was musing about his decision-making in life. Where did it all go wrong? Perhaps in the train where he met Sirius.

Or he should have at least suspected something when one evening, he went down to find them doing a circular dance like unorthrodox witches in front of the cackling fire in the living room. Err, if there is such a thing as orthrodox witches that is. But the point is, they were trying to mimick the hypogriff mating dance in the middle of the living room. Asked them why they were doing it, they just replied, "why not?" then grabbed his hands to join the fray even after insisting with much protestation that he was not insane.

One day, Remus was going to find himself murdered by the two of them, his body dumped in the big lake at the back of the castle, to be eaten by the giant squid. Perhaps if he didn't answer they would just go away.

"What are you doing here anyway?" said Sirius. "Visiting hours are over."

"I came here to deliver dinner. What's your excuse?" Tonks proceeded to get things from the inside crevices of her bag.

"You," Violet pointed an accusing finger at him. "You didn't go down for dinner." She went near his table and said rather mildly. "Please don't make it a habit to skip meals. You always skip meals when nobody's looking or telling you to eat so." She opened the lunch boxes she brought with her and haphazardly cleared his table to make space.

"It's alright. I'm used to it. I'm not hungry," said Remus.

"Bu. Hambug. You're not to skip meals do you hear? Three times a day, with snacks in the middle."

All the while Sirius was trying to steal some food, Remus on the other hand was holding his chin, with a dreary air, trying to find the dish that was at least edible.

"How on earth did you cook all these?" asked Sirius.

"I didn't. I took it from a Chinese take-out. Then I heated it with one of Snape's Bunsen burner under his crooked nose."

Remus let out a small sigh of relief. (She did not cook it after all). He immediately took the spoon and fork from their containers.

"That's cheating," said Sirius. "Isn't it supposedly laced with love or something?"

"Or something. Look. I heated it up, alright? I'll try to squeeze in a better meal next time."

"I'm so proud of you. You finally managed to make it fluff upright,"said Sirius poking the cake she laid out in a paper-plate.

"Err, about that. Actually, I just won this in the Office raffle. But that still counts as effort, yeah?" she turned to Remus for approval.

Remus gave her an encouraging smile. Sirius made a face behind her. But Tonks turned around just in time to see him scowling behind her back.

"Remuuuus, tell him!" said Tonks imploringly.

"Leave her be, padfoot. The last time she tried to cook pasta, she put soy on the sauce. It's better this way."

"One more chide about my cooking, and you'll be kicked out of this dinner in your own office!"

"Hmm, at least it looks tasty," said Sirius.

Tonks slapped Sirius' hands, and offered him a smile. "That cake is for Remus," she said. "You can eat the other one."

Sirius looked from the her poor excuse of a cake that would have made a contest with Hagrid's rock cakes on durability as roof leak stoppers, to the perfect one she was offering Remus. He watched mournfully as Tonks tried to feed Remus her food, internally cringing. Their smiles were awfull, and the way they were acting was just pathetically unprofessional. Not being able to take it, he voiced out his dissapproval and groaned in his hands. "I express my dissaproval and dissatisfaction. I can't believe I did it."

"Did what?" said Remus and Tonks at the same time.

"I deeply regret the day that I helped Tonks cheating on the guard duty schedule.". Clearly, it had turned you both into nutters. Remus used to be cool, and you used to be my little cousin charge, now he's just a blithering mop. I protest and complain for being neglected and want to claim my rights!"

Then she noticed Sirius' hand edging to the cake.

-Sirius Black, If I catch you stealing that cake-" her sudden start towards telling off Sirius made her jerk the spoon rather suddenly, which made Remus choke over the sudden amount of food shoved on his throat.

"Remus! Are you okay? Are you still alive?" Tonks got her attention back to the man, who was now coughing incessantly.

"With you around, not for long," said Sirius. He looked at both of them bordering into pity.

Lupin coughed for a few more seconds before he steadied himself. Tonks immediately tried to find the water and handed it to him. Remus quickly took and gulped it down in one go.

"It's alright. I'm used to it." he said again. Tonks was now dusting the front of robe. as if it would clear the mess away.

"Nymphadora, it's fine." said Remus.

"No you don't. I'll not have you prancing around like a bachelor looking as if her wife had just left him for a hunky bloke from the island of Tahiti. You're robes are soaked."

"So Moony, as I was saying before," said Sirius. "Do you have plans tonight? I came here to invite you out."

No chance of leaving him alone then. "When you're both finished berating me to one of your schemes, perhaps it's time you grow to be responsible adults with-"

"...No. He's staying here with me," said Tonks, pulling him to her. Nobody was listening to him.

"I called dibs on him," said Sirius, pulling him back. "He's my Moony."

"Don't damage my werewolf with your drool!"

"I've got a sports car outside the window and we're going downtown," said Sirius.

"A car? How many miles per hour does it go?" asked Tonks suspiciously.

"A hundred."

"Alright that's it. We're going downtown."

"I thought you said you had a curfew?" said Sirius.

"Ahh, Remus will cover for me. Won't you Remus? Anyway he says, he's too lazy for a night out and he'll just stay to read books," said Tonks, one foot already outside the windowas she spoke. Tonks was inside the car before you could even say Jack Robinson.

Sirius beamed. "Finally! Someone who understands me." He turned to Remus. "Okay, you're fired as my best mate. Tonks will replace you. You can finally stay inside as you wished."

Tonks honked the horns. "Come on Sirius!" she stuck her head out and bellowed from the car.

And they left Remus without so much as a backward glance.

"And then there was Diana. " Sirius was enumerating his list of girlfriends as he started up the engines; Tonks on his right, with sunglasses and bandana on her face, waving her arms in the air and shouting her lungs out. "…but she was too clingy ("Hey!" Tonks rapped him in the arm) It was so annoying. And there was Stephanie, but she was too barmy… and there was Laura, and - " Sirius stopped. He noticed that Remus had already placed himself in the backseat. He must have slipped quietly when they were busy talking.

"Remus. I thought you said you wanted to read books? You said 'Go away Sirius. I only have precious little free time with my annoying clingy wife on the loose on Hogwarts grounds like a hippogriff dancing a cancan,' you said"

"Enough with the Hippogriff analogies," said Remus.

"You said I was annoying?" Tonks shot him an angry look. "After I bought you those potatoe fries from the muggle fastfood because you were so fond of potatoes-"

"I thought you said it was because you splattered his favourite potatoe soup on his face-" said Sirius.

"-in the pouring rain," continued Tonks, "(with your umbrella because I destroyed mine whacking the devil's snare) And after I massaged you (when you were doing some of my paperwork, because you volunteered, not because I used any force whatsoever), and after I cooked your brownies (which I might have burned but it was totally the thought that counts). I am so angry, I am not talking to you for an hour, except if I need something really important."

"Is this the not-talking-game again for which you always loose?" asked Remus.

"Did you hear something Sirius?" said Tonks.

"Nope. Not a word," said Sirius.

"The Scions of Black are the bane of my existence," Lupin muttered.

"Yet strangely, you've got one as your best friend, and you married the other as your wife. What have you been doing with your life?" said Tonks.

"You talked." protested Remus.

"The game starts now. That was just a trial." She turned her face to the rode again.

The car skidded forward without any more bicker for fifteen minutes.

"I should warn you, Tonks," whispered Sirius suddenly. "Remus Lupin is not a saint. He just looks like one. Deep inside he's already plotting for your downfall."

Tonks slowly turned her head to the man in question who was looking up, innocently gazing at the stars.

"Oh, come on. Look at the guy, he's harmless."

"Just saying," said Sirius, his face going dark. "He's one of the legendary pranksters. Word of advice, stay out of this. I don't want you to get hurt."

"Is there something wrong?" he lowered his head from the skies and asked softly.

"Nothing…" said Nymphadora.

"Nymphadora, would you... could you...?" He slightly patted the space beside him.

"Fine, fine. I'm sitting there." Tonks made her way to the backseat to sit beside him. "Sorry, cuz. Duty calls," she said to Sirius.

Remus looked at her with half-lidded eyes glinting with contented longing. Then he began to kiss her. She could vaguely feel him slip something in her dress robe pockets. Her hand went for it to see what it was, but Lupin grabbed it and placed it above his shoulder instead.

Sirius slowly turned his head to check on him in the backseat. To his horror, they had begun to make out behind his back.

"Oi! Don't make my brand new car into a love's nest. I've still got plans for this baby." When both of them were apparently not in the mood for listening, he decided to take drastic measures. "Mcgonaggal in the window. I repeat. McGonaggal on the window!"

"Sirius, just shut up and drive."

* * *

"Isn't this fun?" said the grinning Tonks when they finally got back from the car ride. She had already settled herself within seconds, sprawled comfortably on one floor block of Remus' shelves, propping her head with his hands. She was catching up on her paperwork. "I go to your office to pretend I'm doing detention, but actually, we get to spend more time with each other and we get to do stuff?"

Sirius laughed heartily at this as he himself sat opposite Remus.

"It sounds more inappropriate the more I think about it," said Lupin, frowning in his desk.

"You sound cheerful today." said the cheerful Tonks.

Relaxing silence for a few minutes. Only to be broken by a sudden noise of chair being scrapped to the floor.

"What are you doing?" Remus suddenly asked.

She looked at him to say duh, "Barring the door so we could make out, what else do you think?" She had already put two stacks of chair on the doorway.

"Dora" said Remus. "The door opens from the outside. "

"Hem. Hem. in case you haven't noticed, I'm still here," said Sirius.

Lupin suddenly got up. "All right this has to end." said Lupin, grabbing holding both her arms and propping her up to stand.

"Our marriage?"

"No. Your visits to my office. Don't keep your hopes up."

He waived his wand and the stack of papers on the floor where she's been working organized itself in a neat pile. He shoved the paper to her hands and began pushing her towards the door.

"Out. Now."

"Hey wait. What did I do this time?"

"Out. I don't want myself associated with bad rumours." said Remus.

"But why can Sirius stay?"

"Because he's not a fifteen-year-old incessant flirt, and I can't work."

"Then close your bloody eyes. It's not my problem."

"No. Go back to your dorm. It's already past curfew. People will talk."

Tonks rolled her eyes. "They always talk. I thought you already got over that. Just a few more minutes. Please, please, please."

"No," said Lupin. The dignified professor was on the process of shooing her out of the room when footsteps suddenly sounded outside.

"Someone's coming." said Lupin.

"Why should I-" snapped Tonks. He quickly shoved her under the desk instead.

Tonks peered through a slit under it.

A tall brunette woman knocked on the open door primly. Her hair was tied in a neat bun behind her, in boorish formal dress robes and cardigan not unlike Lupin's.

She entered on his office's door, carrying an enormous amount of piled books in front of her. Emma Williams: the new librarian comes to visit for the evening.

Remus welcomed her with a smile, his face crossed legged and relaxed (forced).

"Good Eve-" she stopped on her tracks. "Remus, why are there stacks of chair in your front door?"

"There were two insane people who were trying to bar me inside and murder me, but they were too dumb to know any locking spells."

"But the door opens from the outside," said Emma.

"Exactly. "

"Anyway, here are the books you wanted to borrow from the library - here's Jane Eyre, I saved a copy for you, here's also some Shakespeare for your light reading..."

"Thank you very much. I'm sure my wife would appreciate this."

"Your wife reads?" she said with a skeptical brow.

"She's too busy to read in her line of work. So naturally, it falls upon me the job of recalling everything page by page. I read for us both before we go to bed."

"My, that's really gruelling," said Emma, with a look of pity in her face.

Something thudded inside Remus' desk followed by a yelp. It was definitely Tonks' head bumping in the ceiling. The potatoe-shaped rock paperweight on his desk quivered after being disturbed.

"What was that?" asked Emma.

"Nothing," said Remus.

"I think it sounded like a student..."

"Nothing. Just the banshee in the cage. Screeching," said Remus kicking her under the desk. "Besides, all students should now be in bed."

"Where should I put this?"

Remus immediately rose and went forward from his chair to help her.

"Emma", said Remus catching the pile before they slipped to the floor. "Thank you for personally taking care of the books I want to borrow."

"It's alright." Emma smiled at Sirius to acknowledge his presence. "I was cleaning the library anyway. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"No. It's fine," said Remus.

He smiled.

She smiled.

"Y-you're sleeve button is loose." said Emma.

Remus gazed at his sleeve where she was pointing. He tugged it and it came off easily. "I'll fix it at home."

"No, here, let me fix that," she grabbed the button from him and waved her wand. After a series of little flicks that would have made Nymphadora's mother tearful in happiness, a needle sew the buttons into place. "There," said Emma when the needle stopped its activity. "Now it won't come off no matter how you tug it." For good measure, she folded Remus' loose sleeve neatly.

"Nice handwork," said Remus, examining his fixed arm sleeve.

"My mother taught me that. She said it was embarrassing to be married if one does not learn the basics of housework."

Sirius sniggered in his corner.

"I'll be going then."

There were a few more pleasantries exchanged (to which Tonks' armpits were already getting wet from the hotness) when she finally left.

Tonks came out of the desk hot and sweaty.

"Now it won't come off no matter how you tug it," mimicked Tonks when she disappeared beyond the door, scowling as she closed the door a little forcefully than intended. "I thought she was never going to leave. My armpits were already getting soaked."

"You let him go to work with a loose button? What kind of wife are you?!" said Sirius. Tonks glared at him.

"Here, fix my loose sleeve. Let's see if you also have the makings of a girlfriend material," Sirius held out his arm.

"And you call me a flirt." But she went sulkily to Sirius' side to fix his sleeve neatly.

"That girl has a thing for you mate," said Sirius over Tonks' shoulder tugging his sleeve. "Hey! What kind of folding is that? What are you primary schooler? Lily Luna could have done better," he said to Tonks.

"What are you talking about? Emma was just being friendly," said Remus.

Tonks rolled her eyes. "Remus, you think everyone's being friendly. Even though it's already obvious they're already shamelessly flirting. -If you would just stop moving, I could do it better," she said to Sirius.

"Or throwing themselves at you," said Sirius. "Honestly, do you even have a clue how women think?"

Remus frowned at them.

"There. Finished it," said Tonks. "Nothing for you Lupin. Go and ask the librarian to fold yours. No way. No bloody way am I gonna. Don't even ask me to iron your shirt, or fix your tie…"

Lupin wanted to remind her that it's actually him who had to iron their clothes. And do the cooking, but decided to not mention that.

Sirius went over to Remus' side. Then ripped his arm sleeve unceremoniously. "Looks like you're in luck, Tonks. Now you can demonstrate your sewing abilities to Moony."

"Absolutely not. That thing is ancient. It's even older than Teddy, patched up all over with magic. Let's just buy him a new one."

"You're just saying that because you can't sew," said Sirius.

"Of course I can," said Tonks indignantly. I'd just need that certain flick thingy… Hold still Remus."

"There's no need. I have an extra shirt," was Remus; feeble attempt to extricate himself from the mess.

Sirius pinned him to sit in his chair. "My cousin says she wants to sew your shirt."

"Now, see here Remus, I've been practicing first aid sewing stitches on my fallen comrades. The underlying principle is the same." She held her wand close to centre of her face in concentration. "I said hold still!"

"Sewing what?" said Remus.

"Sewing stitches. The thing you do when you get a really big wound and you had to close it up."

"Yes, I know what sewing stiches are!" said Remus. "Dora, you should be back in your dorm at this time. It's almost curfew."

"Fine! It's just like the two of you to kick me out of your bromance," said Tonks, grabbing her bag "Almost curfew, as if anyone'd listen to that," she muttered.

"Where are you going?" said Sirius.

"I'm going to learn how to sew. So I won't be a disgrace to the household."

"Nymphadora! Wait."

"What on earth-" Tonks stopped on her tracks. Her bag spilled when she yanked to wear it. A couple of condoms fell on the floor. Her whole bag as filled with it. Her eyes widened in horror. If someone saw her with those things, she will definitely be the world's biggest slut. "Yeah, very funny Remus. Real mature." Throwing some of it on the floor and some went flying to their directions.

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Remus.

Tonks huffed and went out of the room.

Lupin allowed himself to smile when she was gone. There are a thousand ways a teacher can make horrible things happen for a student. And he went through his list.

It was now Lupin's turn to make Violet's life miserable. He was feeling something akin to vengeance. And it was sweet.

* * *

Violet woke up the next day feeling quite pleased with herself. She had that stupid smile in her face when she woke up. Probably from a good dream. Because it was a good day. Because the sun was shining which meant Remus won't be irritable. Because the laundry would be taken care of.

"Teddy?" a person tapped him in the back. Teddy turned his head from whre he was sitting to face him. "Your father called for you."

"Go ahead Teddy. I'll just wait here," Violet encouraged. Teddy went forward to the big table where the faculty was having their breakfast. Then Remus seemed to set him aside and tell him something important.

"Listen carefully. I'm going to tell you something very important..." he held him on he shoulders like a man.

When Teddy came back, he looked like a different person.

"What was it your father wanted?"

"Gnargles," then he buried himself in a bowl of soup to make more incoherent replies.

During Quidditch, things started to get weird, there was a line-up before taking off. When everyone was not in line with her so that she was the only odd one out, she shrugged it off as relatively normal.

Come lunchtime. The grand hall was noisy and crowded but there was about three-people's length of empty seat to her left and right.

And in the clump of students busied about eating their lunch.

When she went down to her potions class, somebody dropped their stirring rod. She immediately caught it before it hit the ground. The girl murmured thanks, but in the corner of her eye, she caught her pouring sanitary cleaning magic liquid and wiping it with paper tissue profusely. And still she thought it was just because she was careful with the procedures and wanted everything sanitized when Alice had casually commented "Why wizards don't have the concept of sanitation during potions is beyond my comprehension." If she had her way, they would have at the very least measured the ingredients with the proper instruments, isolated each elements as much as possible and studied its individual properties through control and experimental set-ups.

When everyone was called to pair with each other, she found herself alone without any partner. It was as if she was back at Hogwarts and people were avoiding her because of her metamorphagus ability.

She knew when she smiled at Serenity Gertrude Blythe that something was wrong. Everybody was whispering and looking at her direction.

She was brewing her cauldron, tongue out with concentration, when she heard an interesting conversation from seatmates who didn't bother with muffiliato charms, or lowering their voices for that matter.

"Have you heard the newest new Rumor?"

"What is it?"

whisper whisper.

A gasp. "No way. No effing way."

"Violet Sharp? The top of the Griffindor class who beat Serenity Gertrude Blythe on Defence?"

"Since when did she get pregnant?"

Whisper whisper whisper

"That's the reason she transferred from beauxbatons! To hide her pregnancy! Girl, catch up!"

"I knew she was not a beauxbatons by heart. You could feel it in your bones."

"Did you know that these fell out of her pockets last night?" And to her horror, the girl was holding something green in her hands. It was square and wrapped in plastic and very incriminating. Slowly, Violet herself dipped her hands into her dress robe pockets. And oh, the horror of horrors. It was full of those things too. And when she went deeper, there was a hole in her pocket tiny enough for the little marplots to fall off in the most inconvenient of places.

"Ugh, how horrible! For her to be carrying that- that- I can't even say the C-word, I think I just lost my innocence," the girl sobbed hard on her best friend's shoulder.

"It's alright, It's alright. You don't have to say it," she patted her friend on the back.

Then Violet remembered what happened last night. Lupin. He slipped this off when he was seducing her inside the car. Distracted her so I wouldn't notice. How could I be stupid.

More whispers.

"That little slut. She must have hidden herself then chucked the child off to her relatives before she went here."

They left the class laughing. Violet could catch a bit of their conversation. "Pregnant at that age? My Auntie got pregnant at seventeen, I mean, that's okay, but fifteen…"

* * *

"Violet! You forgot your book on werewolf hunting!" Peggy called out to her disappearing form. But she had already stormed out of the classroom after Professor Lupin, who, if she didn't know any better, was as if trying to avoid Violet.

"Professor Remus John Lupin!" said Violet stretched a hand to stop him on his tracks then proceeded to corner him in one corridor.

Peggy ran to pursue Violet, but she stopped on her tracks when she saw they were apparently on a heated discussion.

"Why? Why did you spread that rumour?"

"Yes, I heard the infamous rumour. You already got pregnant with a son."

"Heard the rumour? You started it!" said Tonks.

"It's not exactly without foundation," he walked ahead.

Here we go again. "Wait!" she caught up with him again.

"Don't get so innocent. This is your doing. Your masterpiece prank. And quit ignoring me."

"Alright, let's compromise. Hand over my boggart pictures, and I'll help make your name smell nicer." Remus held out his other hand expectantly. In one of their classes, Violet had forced his Lupin-boggart to turn wear a weird-sister patched up jeans and tee outfit.

"Never! I declare war!"

"Don't underestimate me Miss Sharp. I can destroy you a thousand ways, and the Minister of Magic and the Head of Aurors department will not even hear a rumour of it. But you can't touch me. That's what you get for thinking you always have the advantage. You forget that any situation can be exploited."

Then Violet suddenly threw her head back and laughed. "So this is the great Remus Lupin. Lowering down his play to petty revenge. Just curious though. How did you spread it?"

"Simple. I asked Teddy to mention it during breakfast."

Violet just looked at him with her mouth gaped open. That thieving, sly, chocolate-addicted-

"Miss Sharp close your mouth."


	14. The Berserk Hogsmeade Trip

"Violet Sharp! You are being called to the Professor's office. Again," Mr Stevens announced the common room in general. Some people giggled.

"What did you do this time?" said Serenity.

"Would you mind keeping it down? I don't exactly want the whole populace to know I'm getting detention again," said Violet.

"He said something about cleaning the bird droppings without magic." More giggling.

"Alright. I'm going. I thought you said he was the kindest Professor around here," said Violet.

"He is! I'm sure he has a very very good reason for being so cross," said Peggy matter-of-factly.

It turned out he did have a very good reason for calling her. Even though it was entirely different. It was not the first time she was called to his office for 'detention'. But when she got there, she was thankful it wasn't cleaning bird droppings Remus was making her do.

Today, she expected it not to be different, and looked forward to sharing a mug of chocolate with him.

The door closed behind her.

"Lock the door," said Remus from his desk.

"I hope I'm not really called here to clean bird droppings," said Violet.

"Sit down," said Remus.

Upon hearing this words, a regular student would usually sit opposite the desk. If it was Teddy, he would have dragged the lightest chair and sat close to him to wait for snacks. But as for Tonks' place, she immediately went to sit on his lap to straddle him.

"What's wrong with your face?" she asked.

"There is nothing wrong with my face."

"Yes there is. It was the face you wore when you were pretending to be alright, only to find out the next few days that you already wanted us to split. Something is wrong. Do you think you can trust me to handle it?"

"It's Miss Willians."

Tonks frowned. "What about Miss Williams?"

Remus gulped. He regretted being so obvious about it. The matter might have been overlooked had he not shown his distress so blatantly. "She tried to kiss me."

Tonks' breath hiked up. "That -" and she called Miss Williams something terribly unprintable and perhaps she deserved it. She hugged Remus' head to her chest possessively.

"Don't be hard, darling. She had a difficult childhood."

"You also had a difficult life but I don't see you stealing other people's wives."

"I do not see why I need to when you're already in front of me. It's different. I have you and Teddy, and I can't begin to tell you how much thankful I am for being with me. Her father left her when her mother was just pregnant with her."

"Oh dear Merlin. Is this why you were so distressed?"

"Yes," his voice carried the weariness of the scars.

"Remus?" asked Tonks hesitantly, slowly massaging his hair just like how he wanted it.

"Yes, dear,"

"Are you still thinking about that year when you left us?"

"Yes," he shamelessly admitted.

"You don't have to. I forgave you."

"I could I forgive myself if something happens to you. Throughout those years I have ignored you, left you alone, abused your kindness. All you've ever done for me-" he gulped "-But I never even-"

Tonks surveyed Lupin. She took the hard hand clenched into a fist and slowly tried to open it.

"Let's go and cheer you up a little bit. " she kissed him full in the mouth. By a few moments of frenzy would not have been enough to Lupin anymore. Very soon he was already lower and attacking her neck.

"Remus? Remus?" said Tonks.

"Hmmm?" came the muffled sound in her neck. Remus was far too gone to listen.

"Ahh, never mind."

"What is it?"

"How do you feel about going to Hogsmeade on a date?"

Lupin gave her one of his wan smiles. "Oh, before I forget," he opened one of his drawers. "This is for you," he said.

Tonks stared at the box Remus was handing her. There was a silver-white necklace folded neatly inside that fitted exactly to its container.

"What on earth is this?" said Tonks looking confused.

"You were looking at it when we went to Diagon alley. You had your face glued to the window, and your eyes were shining. I saw you sigh when we went away."

"What about your dress robes Remus?"

"My robes are fine. (Why do you keep including my wardrobe in every argument?) I just thought perhaps, that because you had the burden of paying all our bills once, and then the batch of wolfsbane keep eating up your pay check, you can't afford to take liberties with jewels anymore."

" I didn't buy the necklace because I can't afford it, It was because I'm bad with jewelleries, I always loose them," said Tonks.

"Is that so?" said Lupin clearly. He made to get the box from her, his other hand going limp to his side. "I suppose I could still return it."

"No don't!" said Tonks, grabbing it from his hand. "It's cute." She opened it like she was devouring a chocolate from Honeydukes, then immediately went down from her throne to see herself in the looking glass.

"You said you did not want it," said Lupin, not quite understanding women.

But Tonks was no longer paying attention to him, since she was still so enthralled with the necklace. She surveyed it's details closely.

"If you don't mind my asking, how much is it?"

"Yes. I do mind. And no. You may not ask."

Tonks frowned. "If I find you spending away your galleons on these things instead of buying a decent dress robes..."

"For the last time, Dora, my dress robes are fine."

"So," said Remus hesitantly. "Are you going to wear it?"

Tonks flashed her best warm smile. "Of course babe. I'll wear it."

Remus spat all of the contents of his tea to her face and coughed incessantly. "In the future, please refrain from calling me babe."

"Yeah. I figured." Tonks wiped the tea out of her face and wringed her hands on the side in futile attempts to dry herself. "Though there was nothing wrong with it."

"Let's go." said Tonks after a while.

"Where?"

"Dress robes, Remus, dress robes. Catch up, will you?"

"I think that's hardly necessary."

"Alright Lupin. Go and change your clothes now. Quickly, we don't have all day. Close that book," said Tonks. "It's positively unhealthy to be always reading with no physical activities.

.oOo.

Tonks changing upstairs was one of those secret amusement Remus was fond of getting into. He would wait below in the sofa, reading a book, but secretly trying to guess what his wife would look like when she went down the stairs. For there were always something to look forward to when it comes to Tonks.

"Professor Lupin?" she would softly call.

That was his cue to look up from his book to look at far more interesting things. It was one of the most wonderful things in life to see Nymphadora descending down the stairs. Knowing fully, that everything she wore was only for him alone. That he was allowed to stare, and that he was allowed to revel in this secret pleasure. So Remus always relished the privilege of her descending downstairs with the most unique look she'd cook up for the day.

"…"

Only today, she went downstairs with a tweed jacket and big glasses with her hair tied up in a bun.

"What-" said Remus emphatically. "-is that?"

"It's a couple look so other people would easily recognize we go together. Now, you said you were complaining about people not recognising...?"

"Could you err.. change into something more normal?"

Tonks tilted her head. "Why?"

"Because I'm used to your old clothes."

When Tonks got down the stairs after changing again, Remus could not help but notice her apparently taller get-up and blonde hair. She had apparently morphed her skin to be more porcelain-looking and her hair was strikingly blonde with the air of polish and beauty specially if it was paired with a trimmed white dress.

You would know because his mouth was slightly open but he gave no other indications that he noticed it.

Then he made over to his usual frown. Very well. To business. "You getting dolled-up like this is going to grab too much attention. What on earth implored you to don this get-up?"

"Got bored. Life's too young to waste on tweed jumpers."

He looked at himself and noticed that he was wearing a tweed jumper himself.

"Because you are in the habit of going there in different shapes, people are starting to wonder if I was inviting women in my office. " Remus was looking at her and shaking his head, with his eyebrows creased. "More like you're trying to murder me. Very soon, I have to be barring men trying to get through our bedroom to slit my throat to have a chance with you. What happened to practical jeans and spikes?"

"Got bored of them."

"I sincerely doubt it. Come along," Remus extended an arm, to wrap cosily around her shoulders when she came near.

"Okay babe."

Lupin groaned. "Nymphadora, I'm not a twenty four year-old man who fits to such terms of endearment."

Tonks sniggered. Then she continued to laugh louder. "Taste of your own medicine eh? I told you not to call me Nymphadora. I'm not a fifty-year old woman on a walking stick. It Suits us then," she shrugged. "Let's go babe."

"No," Remus said emphatically. He shook his head then went ahead.

"Hey wait. Babe! Babe!" Tonks followed him to the door.

"Nymphadora..."

"You're doing it again. How bout we compromise? You can stop calling me Nymphadora," she slashed both her hands to the right, "then I stop calling you babe." She slashed her hands to the left. "Shake on it." She spat on her hand and stretched it in front of her for him to shake, flashing her expectant grin.

Remus eyed the hand and blinked. He mused for a moment, seeming to consider it. Then the sides of his mouth threatened to twitch into a smile. "No."

"No fair," said Nymphadora as she slipped her hand to the crook of his arm. This was going to be a long day.

.oOo.

In the end, they decided to buy Remus a great-coat. Because winter was coming and his other one was not that thick, he had to constantly cast a warming charm on them.

"What about this?" said Remus.

"No. No. For you, we need something boringly sexy. " Tonks fumbled over the choices pursing her lips and eyeing everything critically whilst Remus prayed she wouldn't select something ridiculously expensive. When she finally had two items in her hands, she shot them in front of Remus for him to judge. "So, what do you think?"

"Err..." Remus felt as if he was being rushed into the game of 'Spot the difference'.

"You know what? I think this dark blue colour is so stark. It don't blend well with your professor side shade. We should take this other one."

"Dora, If I may ask, what exactly is the difference?"

"Well, the buttons love. Look at the buttons... this one has more classic subtle blang. In fact, it's so subtle you can hardly spot it, it's genius."

"Then what is the use...?"

"It adds more manliness. Like a hidden aura of straight cut for the straight-laced folks," she gestured with her hands to try to explain the aura thing, but it was like talking to a chimpanzee who just tilts his head to the side, frown and not understand a thing.

"But who would notice if it's so subtle no one could spot it?" said Remus.

Tonks looked at him as if he said something obviously stupid. "Everyone of course!"

"Ahhh... so how much does this added unnoticeable subtlety cost?" he looked everywhere for the tag prize. Look for the tag price first before anything else. That's his greatest rule of shopping.

"Fifteen galleons..." Remus mused almost whispering. That's two days of work already..." he murmured to himself. "Dora, I don't think we should buy this. We should make investments. We could try to go to Knockturn alley.., buy something with our money's worth..."

Tonks sighed, "I knew it would come to this." She gave him an envelope.

"What's this?" he asked curiously. Tonks just grazed him with a nonchalant face as he fumbled to open it. "A gift certificate worth 50 galleons... how on earth...?" Remus trailed off, gazing at the paper with such an empty expression as if he was in a trance.

"So am I awesome, or am I awesome?" said Tonks excitedly. "I got those when I caught whatshisface. The owner gave me those gift cards as bonus."

"Can we buy food with this?" he mused silently. Trying to convert everything to liquid cash or something edible was the story of his life.

"Oh for the love of Merlin, Remus. The world does not only revolve around edible potatoes."

"Of course it doesn't. There are also string beans, eggplants, and carrots. They are also edible."

"You're kinda missing the point." Tonks snapped her finger in front of him. "The point is, what's your point?"

Tonks knew how his mind worked. It had been set to survival mode so long there was a clause there that said, 'If I buy these, i will starve next week. If I do this, I will starve in a month... If I marry her we will starve forever. So this is wrong.' And that was it. That was his moral compass in a nutshell.

"Huh?" said Remus, still confused.

"You. Could. Buy. The clothes."

"..."

"Remus, I want you to listen very carefully," said Tonks holding both his shoulders at armslength. "We need this strong fabric so you wouldn't have to patch it so obviously. And honestly, I'd rather be caught dead making out with a werewolf than with a man wearing those shabby clothes. What would the neighbours think?"

"You'd rather be caught with a werewolf?!" said the saleslady.

"You see? She thinks so too." she gestured her hand to the saleslady.

"I don't think that's what she meant." Remus finally found his voice.

Her feet kept on sliding to the floor in futile attempts to move him an inch closer to the counter. Remus finally noticed what she was doing. "Oh. You were pushing me. I did not notice."

"Just-" she pushed again "-pay up. It's just some gift cards. Are your hands still shaking whenever you purchase something more than five galleons?"

"Alright," So he moved to the counter with his own two feet.

Tonks watched as Remus presented the gift cards to the cashier.

"That would be fifteen galleons, sir," said the saleslady. "Uhm, sir? ...sir?"

"I can't do it Tonks," he finally said.

Tonks raised her eyebrows. "Do what?" She looked at his hands. It was shaking. Tonks frowned at him. "Gimme the bill." Tonks snatched gift cards from his hand.

"5 points to Hufflepuff!" said Tonks when they had a lot more paper bags on their hands.

"For what?" said Remus.

"Because the points go to me this time. My mission in life is to berate you into setting fire to your shabby wardrobe and make you buy a new set. "

"-which you only do because you can't admit that you can't sew."

Just then, Tonks caught sight of the new person who entered the shop. It was Laurence Fetcher all alone.

"…I was just thinking how it would be nice to buy more stocks… now that were all settled. Then we could finally put that one on Teddy's education... some mutual fund.. equity...Tonks are you listening?" But Tonks eyes were already eyeing the newcomers.

"Remus? Did you remember what happened the other day?"

"Which part?"

"The part where Laurence marched up inside the grand hall and kneeled in front of me in front of everyone to ask if I would go out with him."

"That was today?"

"Yes, I kind of forgot. I only remembered now."

"Dora!"

"I am so sorry, but I'll finish this in just an hour. Just wait here. I have to go undercover for a bit." and she went back to the store to disappear among a bundle of hanged cardigans. There was a bit of scuffling and a girl named Violet came out on the other side.

"Well hello there handsome," said Violet.

Laurence flashed her a wide grin. "There you are. For a moment there, I thought you've forgotten. "

Violet laughed at him. "That's absurd. Why would I forget?"

"I thought we're supposed to meet at three broomsticks?" said Laurence.

Violet shrugged. "Couldn't wait when I saw you outside the shop." Then suddenly, her face changed to sudden horror. "Oh, no no no." Someone just entered the shop. "It's that drat of a muggle proffesor with grey formal robes I had been tempted so many times to paint a rainbow in."

"Muggle-studies professor. Muggle, Violet? What a thing to say."

"Muggle, studies, they're all the same," she went forward and nipped inside, hiding behind a clothes rack. Laurence looked over her shoulder.

"This way Emma." She could hear Remus' voice over some near part of the store, but hidden from view somewhere along the trays of clothes everywhere.

Tonks clasped her hands together, and heaved her shoulders then plastered her adorably fake smile. "Laurie, I suddenly had the urge to buy a dress robe. Would you...would you mind terribly if we go and buy one?"

"Of course! Anything for you," said Laurie.

"Come on!" she grabbed Laurie by the wrist and made a half-run for the sunglasses. Violet hurriedly put on the biggest one that would cover her face and donned some bandana along with it, so that she looked like a nun, or a terrorist with a mysterious important mission.

"Where are you going?" asked Laurence.

"I, um, saw a robe I like in this rack right here." Then she dived inside the hanger of clothes, to be completely out of sight. And now, she was well hidden behind the clothes line for sabotage.

"Remus, look at this coat. It would certainly match with your grey scarf," she heard her say.

"I was thinking about trying to find something to match the purple one," she heard Remus say.

"That purple one? The one that looked like a table napkin? Ugh, don't wear that again.," said Emma, screwing her face.

"Well I suppose she did mention I just buy a big one so it would be covered when I'm wearing them. But It would be better if I can find something that might warrant it a show..."

"This one," Emma got a scarf and placed it neatly on him. "It would match your new-ow!" She quickly dropped her hand and she scarf. "Something stung me."

"Let me see the burn. It might be the Gnargles."

"What?"

"Wait a second. I know that spell." he shoved the racks of robes wide open with both hands. "Violet Sharp!"

She took one look at him, then shoved some hanged clothes to her front to hide from view.

Remus made to follow the obvious sounds of where she was going but Emma rolled her eyes, and held back his arm from pursuit. "Let her be Remus. You don't have to do anything if they want some attention."

She's the one to talk, thought Tonks as she crawled away from view. Violet raised her head to meet the scalding look of Laurence.

"There you are. Have you found the robes that you wanted?" Remus heard Laurence ask her on the other side of the racks. Violet shrugged. "I changed my mind. There's nothing ripped here." Remus' gaze lingered in the doorway as Laurence and Violet headed outside.

"Remus?" asked Emma tentatively.

"I'm sorry, but I best be going. I have some business to attend to." And he also went out of the store.

In the corner of her eye, Remus looked at his clock. Remus found himself eating alone in the three broomsticks while Tonks was balancing butterbeers with her mouth and hands, and Laurence rattled on about his beautiful date.

Violet held a butterbeer in her hands and plastered her fake grin. Laurie, already sat on a table grinned back. But it happened one way or another. So she found herself sat upon the opposite of Laurence who declared to everyone that Violet was finally his date. Whilst Remus sat himself silently in one of the empty table corners.

"Don't look directly. Stare at a lot of things to hide where you're really looking at," sitting three tables away in one corner, Alice was instructing Peggy on how to properly stalk.

Peggy diverted her gaze at a pair of uninteresting cactus on the window pane. Whereupon a brunette, armed with a heavy lunch approached Remus to share his table. Professor Lupin seemed to have replied, "not at all."

"Why can't we also do that? Just say there're no more seats and just go over there."

"Because she thought of that idea first, and now it's taken," said Alice. Her hand already calculating the possible time lapse of her return of investment. "But you could always copy her style if your needs arise in the future."

"Omygee, Alice. Now a blonde beautiful woman had just went to his table too!" said Peggy.

"Please refrain from repeating everything that I could also see and hear plainly," said Alice.

"Can we do it now?" asked Peggy again.

"Excuse me, zat iz my boyfriend you're sitting wiz." The french girl said irritably upon reaching the Professor's table.

"Is she your girlfriend?" said the brunette.

"It would seem so…" said Remus. "Please don't be rude Miss, er… what is your name again?"

"Then you are not his girlfriend," laughed the brunette girl. "He doesn't even know your name."

"Well, look at zat. An empty seat 'ave opened right zere," the french girl gestured to her right.

"I should go," said the brunette.

"You don't have to leave on her account. By the looks of it, you also have to share that table if you sit there."

"Nah. I went here because you looked gorgeous. Not because there were no more free tables. You're such a sweet thing not to notice." The brunette patted his cheek and went away unaffectedly.

"Hands off!" Tonks settled her hand on the crook of his arm and stuck out her tongue when the girl turned her back.

"Tonks?"

"Of course it's Tonks! Who d'you expect? The son of Merlin wearing ripped up jeans? " she hissed.

"Oh look. The french girl has left. Can we do it now?"

To her right, Peggy could see Laurence and Violet was still discussing issues of national importance (e.g. see Quiditch) how long have they been discussing? She wondered "…And then he dived into a somersault, and turned sharply to the right - "

"Certainly not. Not now more than ever. It would be blatantly obvious," said Alice from where they were sitting.

"You said that last time!"said Peggy. "Now look at that Professor Emma Williams has just asked if Proffesor Lupin too didn't mind sitting on his table, because the place was packed," Peggy held her binoculars to the table in question, leaning forward in her curiousity.

"Oh the mother of Merlin's second concubine. That's the second this day." Violet pounced the table to where they were sitting. "Wait a sec Laurence. I've got to do something..." Violet excused herself in the middle of Laurence's description of the dragon dive broomstick hover maneuver.

"Wait a minute Violet! Where are you going? The dragon dive broomstic hover maneuver has three variations! " Laurence shouted after her.

"To the loo!" said Violet. "And it has four, not three!"

She was morphing her way back, when she picked up the name 'Remus' being mentioned by the people talking outside her cubicle.

"...Remus us a high wall. He's so reserved, he never opened up to anyone."

Of course she picked up the conversation. And lo and behold, the sound of Emma Williams. Music to her ears.

"Didn't he have a wife?" Said her friend. Then went to knock on her cubicle. "Is there someone in there?"

"Yes," Tonks imitated Umbridge and her super irritating shrill voice.

"For the life of me, I have never seen the shadow of that wife of his. Frankly, I think he's too good for her. I heard he married somebody quite young and beautiful. Hitched off during the war. From what I hear she must have just gotten him through seduction, then they eloped because it was wartime. These young people are still indecisive ones. He should have been with someone older and wiser. I heard she went off to the island of Tahiti and made off with a beach boy there. Maybe it would only take a few more months before they file out the papers and declared it official in public…"

"What are you implying?" said her friend.

Emma winked and went out of the loo.

"No just hold there a minute," said her friend.

Bugger.


	15. The First Snow

"It is not always the same thing to be a good man and a good citizen of any state taken at random." - Aristotle.

.oOo.

Peggy glued her face to her goggles as she tried to take in the debacle in front of her. "Look Alice, Violet's gone back from the loo again. Would you look at that? Now she's ran to the professor's table too. Professor Lupin finally looked up and noticed her. It's as if she's trying to reach the table before miss Williams does. I told you having no more seat was a perfectly fine excuse."

Alice, who did not seem to object to her moment-to-moment commentary yet, just replied. "No. Look closer," said Alice, who did not feel inclined to look closer, let alone look up for that matter.

"Professor Lupin's angry. Why is he angry? Professor Lupin never gets angry," said Peggy.

"Don't be ridiculous. Professor Lupin is not angry. He's brow's just probably furrowed. Professor Lupin never gets angry," she repeated.

"Fine, he's just frowning. But Laurence is definitely is turning angry now. He's tapping his foot impatiently."

"What took you so long?" Laurie called apprehensively from his seat. Violet looked to Lupin's table where both he and Professor Williams sat and then glanced back to Laurence and with a sigh, sat down.

"What's she doing at Professor Lupin's table anyway? She'll just get a scolding. Professor Williams and and Professor Lupin are now talking over the potato soup. Our poor professor just wanted to eat his soup," Peggy observed. "But a lot of girls are still hovering about as if they're trying to eat him — like he's some sort of rare stake or something,"

"Hypocrite," Alice pointed her quill at her emphatically then got back to accounting their financial flow. "Also, you may have noticed you are still about two-thirds short on your matriculation. What about being less obsessed with him for a while?"

"Hmm," said Peggy's equally non-committal reply. "You'll take care of me won't you?" she glanced over to his table. "That's three women who've sat at his table,"

"I saw three women came and go, yes," said Alice.

Alice, getting exasperated, finally burst. "I am getting exasperated about your moment to moment commentary. Keep it to yourself if it's not something usefull."

Peggy gulped, and squirmed back trying to retreat her bum deeper into her seat.

"This is ridiculous! I'm leaving," Laurence got up, knocking the chair to the ground before he stormed outside, the door slamming harshly behind him.

"For Merlin's sake, would everyone just stop narrating this drama. Peggy, order some more butterbeer."

"Roger that!" Peggy got up and marched to the counter.

She saw Violet staring blankly at his dissappearing figure before she could get up to follow him.

She was going to head to Violet's table to ask if she was alright with a bunch of speech drills on how to tape a broken heart, but Professor Lupin seemed to have gotten there first. A shadow fell directly in front of Violet, right onto the wooden table.

"Are you alright?" asked Lupin.

She heard Violet mutter something about being murdered because of letting Laurence go. Must be bluberring like one of those dramas about love-sick teens. Note to self: love apparently makes you mental. Tell Alice to remember shouting if she ever got up to such nonsense, "Remember the drill Peggy! Run the other way!"

"Of course, right as rain," said Violet, smiling — much to Miss Willams' dislike, Violet rose from her chair and slumped tiredly into a chair in between Remus and Miss Williams. "Phew, I'm exhausted. After all the things I did for my date, he just got up and left looking pissed."

Miss Williams was about to inquire about her presence at their table when Remus pushed his potato soup towards her.

"Here, eat. You haven't eaten anything since this morning," sais Remus.

It was then that Tonks' stomach betrayed her. It growled loudly, causing the witch to press her hands to her stomach as if she was telling it to hush. Tonks raised an eyebrow, asking permission before she grabbed the spoon and began to hungrily slurp up the potatoe soup — as if it was tasty.

"Hmm, you're right," said Violet between mouthfuls of the potatoe concoction. "This thing tastes delicious — that is, if a person is very, very hungry."

When Peggy was depositing the new butterbeers to thier table with a thud, the glass chattering from the other table suddenly made her turn her head jead again. She could hear Violet appologising profously."I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

He expected Lupin to finally snap, but The professor did not at all seem faced by the water that splattered down his front. Which was wierd, because just a little bit earlier, she could have sworn he was ready to cut Violet in half by just his furrowed stare.

"Our food seems to be taking sometime. Are you hungry?" said Emma. This question was directed to the professor.

"I'll do it," said Violet, as she raised her hand, the soup bowl now scrubbed clean. "I'll just summon some pasta left from the —"

"Here, let me help you," said Miss Williams with a good-natured smile.

Tonks scowled. "It's okay."

"No, I insist, you might tip it over with your wand, I'm just saying-" She had a point, thought Peggy.

Peggy looked from left to right as both of them seemingly bantered, ever so nicely.

"I can summon the pasta myself," Violet finally snapped and before Emma could react she had waved her wand and the pasta appeared. But instead of it appearing right side up and on the table, it appeared upside-down floating in the air, before collapsing onto the beautiful trimmed collar, blouse and trousers that the Muggle Studies Professor wore.

"Emma, here, let me help you," Remus offered his handkerchief.

"It's all right Remus, " said Emma's voice, visibly shaking. "Oh, this has been a disaster."

She profusely wiped the sauce with the tissue causing the sauce to sink further into the blouse. That of course didn't help — the fabric was white.

"Violet," said Remus sternly. Tonks had never seen him so angry. "Apologise to Miss Williams. I will not have you dishonouring my guests. Since you stepped into this pub, you have been downright rude."

"No, I will not," said Violet emphatically. She folded her arms.

"What?" said Remus, his voice raising a little too high for Violet's liking.

"I will not apologise," said Violet, equally determined, her eyebrows drawn together in a harsh line.

"That is enough Miss Sharp," snapped Remus before he rose from the chair and held out his hand to a flustered Miss Williams. "Miss Williams, let's go, I'll escort you back to Hogwarts."

Remus and Miss William left soon after that. His gaze never even glansing back, and as the door swung shut he left Violet to stand in the middle of a gaggle of students, utterly disgraced and completely humiliated.

Well, that backfired.

Tonks collapsed on a park bench that resided just outside the castle that faced the vast beautiful lake. If the Auror had strained her ears, she could just hear the crackle of ice as it covered the top of the water like a thick, impenetrable blanket. Behind her was the start of the forbidden forest, its withered branches joining in the foray of lamentation over the whole sordid affair. It would be long before the spring touches its fingertips on its sleeping branches again.

Tonks shivered. She didn't expect it would go topsy-turvy from there. Nor was she going to apologize.

The soft trickle of snow suddenly began to fall across the freezing ice. Her temper had never been her strong point and no matter how many times the witch tried to deny it, the Black anger certainly ran though her veins, possibly just as much as her cousin Sirius.

Sirius…what would he think of this. Tonks snorted. She was going batty. But still, Sirius was her favourite cousin and in return, she was his. The Auror shivered. Merlin, it was cold.

The witch had left the pub to distil her temper, only to discover that the necklace Remus had so graciously given her had disappeared from her neck.She couldn't go back — she didn't dare, that would be asking for a murder trial for a double-dead hippogriff.

"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" snapped Tonks as she buried her head in her hands. "Merlin, if mum where here she'd hex me until next Christmas,"

Tonks sighed, putting her collar up to ward off the cold.

"Why did I do it?" she questioned to herself, the answer dancing along the snowflakes like fire.

The witch never noticed Remus silently slipping next to her on the bench. It was only when the werewolf let loose a tired sigh, did the Auror glance up.

"Nice weather today," said Remus cassually, gazing at the lake.

She stole a glance towards him before copying his stare to the lake.

_Kruu kruu kruu. _He bird was not helping.

"You dropped this inside the Three Broomsticks," he said, holding out the necklace. The necklace glinted in the winter light.

"Oh," said Tonks slowly, her voice hoarse. "Thanks,"

Slowly the witch extended her hand to take it, but just before her fingers were about to touch the cool metal she paused.

"I... I came back to look for it in Hogsmeade but I didn't—"

"I came back after I escorted Miss Williams back to her quarters," said Remus, "but you already left. I saw this on the floor. You know the rest."

"I just," she gulped. "I just want to go home. I didn't expect you'd come back. You seemed so keen to leave."

"I am not going to leave," assured Remus, as he placed his hand on his wife's shoulder. "And I would appreciate it if you stop alluring and referring to the past, though I am in no position to request that."

"Cold," she shivered.

"What's that?"

"You're cold, Remus, it's almost winter," she persisted. "And you forgot your coat again… I don't think the snow is going to stop anytime soon."

Tonks slowly pulled out her wallet from her jacket pocket and stuck her hand deep into the folds of the fabric — undetectable extension charms really worked a charm whenever needed. Finally, after several seconds of rummaging, the witch pulled out a thick, tartan blanket. Quickly she draped it over Remus' body, before snapping her wallet shut and staring at the ground below.

Tonks felt a something warm on her back. Remus had draped the blanket on both of them.

The two fell into silence that was somewhere between watching the snow fall thicker, more dense now and as the two gazed out at the lake before them, nothing, not even Tonks' balance could break it. It was Remus who eventually broke the silence.

"Can you tell me what happened?" he asked as he took her hand and tried to warm them from the cold frost.

"I'm scared, Remus."

"Of what?"

"What if what miss Williams said was true? What if one day, you realize, she's so much better than me. Just like you in temperament, and in manners, and in well, everything. That you only stuck with me because I am the only person you were stuck with in the war. "

"That is ridiculous. I was thirty-seven when I married you and you were the only person who made me do so."

"It's because you've never met her yet at that time. You look good together."

"Where is this all coming from Dora?"

"I heard her," muttered Tonks, before taking a deep breath and launching into her tale. "When I went to the loo, I overheard Miss Williams suggesting that it would take us only a few weeks to finalise our divorce papers, and given a few more months, you're going to find out she's better company than me, that she would suit you better."

"Nymphadora I-"

His wife glanced over his shoulder.

"Ugh! Great!" Tonks groaned as she twisted her wedding ring around her finger.

"Here she comes."

Emma Williams trundled though the snow, her boots sinking into the cold concoction like butter and as she neared the two, Tonks realised that the woman had changed her shirt and thrown her own coat over her shoulders. Tonks' eyes narrowed as she noticed a very familiar looking coat — Remus' coat.

"Remus, you forgot this in your office," whispered the woman as she got near, "and it was snowing when I looked outside the window. I thought you might need it."

"Miss Williams," said Remus, as he let go of his wife's hands and turned to face the witch. "I appreciate your kindness. But I would also appreciate it if you would stop your advances. My wife here is under the impression that you are getting a little too close."

"Your wife?" she frowned at Tonks, who pulled her coat further around her shoulders."Weren't you getting a divorce? It's all over the school that you've been enstranged for three months now, and your wife left you for the island of Tahiti. You moving to the castle quarters and leving your old house seems to be a confirma-"

"If we did, it would not concern you," Remus interupted. Being told that your big decisions you did in life was just the product of haphazard choices rather does that to people. "Frankly, it does not matter if you did not approve of my choice during the war. It would also ease my mind if you would know the boundaries of our friendship." said Remus, which was his diplomatic version of 'it's none of your business'.

Miss William's eyes widened, and she took a step back. But then her body relaxed. "Oh, I'm sorry," she smiled politely, mirroring Remus' diplomatic act, "I think I should go back to the castle now."

And with that, she placed Remus' coat on the bench beside Tonks and turned away, her coat pulled sightly around her slight form. Tonks blinked.

"Whoa," she gasped, looking at Remus as if she'd never seen him before "Just whoa. What on earth did you just do?"

Remus sat back down.

"That was burning bridges, but it needed to be done."

"What happened to keeping good relations and connections?" asked Tonks her eyebrows raised.

"Do you want me to go after her?"

"No, you mad werewolf!" snapped Tonks, as she gently pushed her husbands shoulder. The werewolf wrapped his arms around his wife, pulling her into a hug.

"Say Remus," said Tonks, as she watched Emma's retreating figure.

"Yes?"

"Don't you ever regret that you married me. I mean, maybe if I didn't exist during the war and you'd met Emma instead, would you have married her. You look so much alike, the way you talked to each other looked almost natural. If I wasn't here, you both would have hit off and she'd float your boat."

"'Float my boat'?" his brow furrowed questioningly again.

"Float your boat. " she tried to do some hand gestures to illustrate her point. "You know, the expression used when-"

"Yes, I am familiar with the expression." Remus muttered

"Then why'd you-"

Remus laughed and pulled his hair away from his eyes.

"Thank Merlin for the war."

Tonks glanced up at him, confused.

"For once in my life, I am grateful for Lycanthropy. Without which, you would have met me at thirty five with five kids already running and grabbing my ankle attempting to stew me for supper."

"That's not too bad."

"My dear Nymphadora, has it occured to you that I do not want to settle for less?"

A/N: This chapter is dedicated for Lily Carmen Black, who took the time to help me in this project. Long Live Beta-readers!


	16. What Peggy Saw

"Lies are neither bad nor good. Like a fire they can either keep you warm or burn you to death, depending on how they're used." ― Max Brooks, World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War

.o0o.

"One, two, three, four..." the gold clanged a merry tune as each goblin-made coin bounced off each other as they left Peggy's hand. The witch was situated on the floor of her shared dorm room, her eyebrows drawn together in frustration as she counted.

"For heavens Peggy," snapped Alice as her fingers griped a feathered quill that was lodged in her grip. "They're not going to magically multiply! They won't do anything if you keep counting them, you're just short, and that's that."

"What sort of magic school is this then? Can't even magically multiply gold," she muttered.

"You could, actually. But you're entirely missing the point about the concept of money."

"Alice, is 'Dang it' a bad word?" asked Peggy. Alice who was busy scribbling something among a pile of hovering open books, looked up from her table and paused in her writing.

Usually, Peggy would not attempt to interrupt Alice in her studies, for the witch had a tendency to snap at any passing being, human or otherwise, a thought more terrifying than most. There were stories of Alice almost attacking a ghost who took an unfortunate decision to walk right though her. But she decided her question was worth the risk.

"It depends," she mused and Peggy let loose a breath. She was in a good mood.

"On what?" enquired Peggy as she placed her hand under her chin. "On the situation?"

"On how high your moral standards is. What image do you want to project to the student body?"

"Huh?"

Alice sighed. "Why did you ask?"

"Because I want to say it. Right now. Right here," answered Peggy.

Suddenly, the dorm door swung open, revealing a very dishevelled Violet. Alice cringed as Violet slammed the door with her foot.

"I told you to go to the head of house for consultation," said Violet. "Professor Lupin can recommend you to some very influential policies and benefactors." Violet folded her arms and raised an eyebrow. "But If you're shy, I can accompany you to his office myself."

Peggy glared at her. She raised her chin and crossed her arms defiantly. "No, no, no! I don't want to be seen with you!"

"Why ever not?" asked Violet, a confused expression on her face.

"Professor Lupin has the most infinite of patience that any man can ever have," explained Peggy, her eyes burning. "I've never seen him angry before, yet you, yes you managed to succeed in making him angry. I've caught him looking at you once, right behind your back, and . . . and his eyes were so full of fury that they could have killed the Giant Squib."

Peggy took a breath. "Then, when you offered him chocolate, he told you 'no' and he didn't even bother to be nice! He was downright rude! I don't want the Professor to think badly of me."

Peggy's face must have been bright red because as she reached for a pillow that sat on her bed, she felt her cheeks grow red. With one effortless move, she picked up the white object and threw the pillow in Violet's face. As the girl threw herself out of the pillow's path and into her own bed a loud rap suddenly rang through the room.

"Why do you want to suck up, I mean impress the Professor anyway?" said Violet.

"Judging from her limited experience, Professor Lupin is the person whom Peggy felt the first oxytocin production to."

"I don't care if he's in a wheelchair or he's a werewolf," said Peggy with a faraway look in her eyes. "I still think he's handsome, insurance or no."

"Who let her in here? Someone kick her out of the Slytherin department," Alice frowned. "What a Hupplepuff thing to say."

"Hey, I think we should feel insulted," said Violet.

"I didn't say it was wrong. I just said it's such a hupplepuff move." She was about to explain more when someone knocking at their door interrupted them. All three girls looked at each other, their eyes defiant and angry with one question poised on their lips: who would get the door.

"Peggy, get the door," said Alice.

"Violet get the door," said Peggy.

Another knock.

"It's probably Professor Lupin," Alice commented.

"Professor Lupin!" Peggy made a quick useless attempt to flat her hair before scampering to the door.

A girl with dark hair, possibly a first year, loomed in the doorway, her cheeks flushed a velvety pink, her breath rugged and uneven. However, it was what lay in the child's grip that surprised Peggy. Two cream coloured enveloped were clutched in her palm, each sealed with a purple seal that seem to glare 'important', as if they were about to set her hair on fire. But they weren't Howlers, no, no, far to dainty and delicate for a screaming match and besides there was not smoke. Peggy took the letters.

"It's for you and Violet," she placed it beside her table. Alice gave a lazy flick of her wand and the envelope obediently flew to the third drawer who opened to receive it.

"What are those?" said Peggy.

"An invitation to the party," said Alice.

"Aren't you going to read it?"

"Waste of time. I already know what it says."

"Can I see it?" said Peggy.

Alice shrugged. It was invitation enough.

Peggy gave her wand an outward flick to her front. The drawer opened and the invitation flew to her hand. She flashed them again and again, even though there was only two of it no matter how she flipped.

"The party this Saturday?" asked Peggy, her brows furrowed. "But that's a school party everyone's going to that."

"Not after-party this Saturday, no," said Alice.

"There's an after-party after the party?" asked Peggy, confused.

"Everyone knows there's always an after-party after party," mumbled Violet inside her pillow.

"Y... you're going too? You're all going?" stammered Peggy. She put the invitations carelessly to the edge of the bed, whereupon balanced precariously before it fell . Alice frowned and flicked her own wand so the letters slipped neatly to her third drawer again before hitting the floor.

"I was invited," said Alice. "Violet also got invited."

"How come Violet got invited. I thought she already had a bad reputation."

"Because I'm cool," said Violet.

"I don't understand," said Peggy.

"Because she played her cards well and she still landed the status of a social butterfly," said Alice impatiently.

"It's okay it's no fun there anyway," muttered Peggy as she shrugged awkwardly. "It's not like I'm not going because I don't have any dates. Or clothes. I'll just…umm…stay in the library."

Violet snatched up the invitation from the drawer and shook her head as she examined them. "No." Said Violet. "The reason why you're not going is because you didn't get any invitation."

Peggy covered herself in her own blanket and turned her back towards them.

Violet got up and prodded the feet sticking out of the blanket. "But tell you what we'll do. We'll sneak inside anyway and attend. Don't let the social elites ruin your night."

"Yes, and be laughed at for all my troubles, no thank you!" Peggy shuffled more comfortably in her bed.

Alice shrugged. "Suit yourself."

.o0o.

The day finally came when nobody was paying attention to classes anymore, though it was still several hours before the magical ball. And why would they, when the grand hall was already showing tell-tale signs of an overhaul?

Oblivious to Peggy, who woke up that day feeling normal, was that a Grand Ball was Grand. Even though They'd just sit on the same solid table and eat like any other day. But then, that was because she did not have any friends to eat with. She was going to attend the grand ball, because it was required, then she was going to head to the library after that. Forgetting even the existence of the after-party.

But she began to get suspicious when she saw laces of ribbons and expensive tapestries slowly draped across the walls of the grand hall. Which probably meant having a ball was not an ordinary day after all. Still, she couldn't understand what the big fuss was about; Why everything had to be fixed with utmost importance or else there were going to be dire consequences.

Hogwarts hired some transfigurators who painstakingly transfigured their spoons and knives to more fancy design. Mr. Filch himself was bitterly scrubbing one of the tables shinier. In the common room, everyone had their dress robes out.

"Hello Peggy, what happened to you?" said Serenity when Peggy finally went down to the Grand Hall.

"I was so busy, I was asked to help make stuff for the decorations and there was no more time to change," Which was true, but it was also true that she went up to the common room and picked her best dress in the lot. Quite satisfied with wearing her best clothes, she went down just after tying her hair in a neat ponytail.

"Oh, that's awful. Quick Peggy, there's still time! You can still go back to the common room and change," she pushed Peggy out of the room and smiled kindheartedly. You mustn't think too bad of Serenity. For in truth, she was a kind soul who also wanted Peggy to have a good time. She just did not know that Peggy had no inkling idea on how to enjoy a party, or how parties work for that matter.

And that was it, she quietly slipped away. Walking round the school with her head down with really no direction to go into. Because she had ran out of ideas. She found it hard to go back to the Grand Hall when she didn't have any decent clothes, but it was useless to go back to the common room.

"Miss Price?" said a voice behind her. "Why are you out here walking by yourself?"

Peggy hardened her face from the torrent of emotions. She took a step back, three decades of wall between them.

The professor looked at her with his brow furrowed slightly, then Peggy knew he understood. Yet he did not betray any cause for her to be embarrassed about.

"If you're not too busy, packages has just arrived. I may need help in opening it," said Lupin.

Peggy nodded her head vigorously. For want of something to do, the professor's voice was just too welcome.

"But you may just bore yourself. Would you rather you were with your friends?"

She shook her head with equal vigour. "I'd rather help with unwrapping the packages."

But when professor Lupin set down a package in the desk in front of her, it was a fairly thin rectangle no more than ten inches long. It was chocolate.

"This would be good if it was paired with tea."

She hesitated, then nodded slightly. She looked up at the vast ceiling of the office and wondered why she had the luck of being inside Professor Lupin's office, instead of being inside the Grand Hall rejoicing with lace and ribbons, fancy tapestries and other festivities like the rest.

Professor Lupin was about to pour himself tea after her but only professor McGonagall went inside needing him for something. So she was left alone to eat in peace.

The sensation of someone pouring coffee and giving her a kind smile was new to her. She was not used to people behaving like that.

She remembered fondly the time professor Lupin first stepped forth into their dingy small house. He greeted her good morning and told her she was accepted in a prestigious school. Father was livid. He said the point of local schools were so that there were no more unnecessary expenses and he insists that she stayed at home and not go off to anymore non-sense. She had a lot of sisters after all. Father was right. Mother was okay with it, but she said they cannot afford the expenses, so there was nothing to it. And Peggy cannot do it. She's not smart enough for a city school.

Tears suddenly fell unwanted to her face. She tried to wipe it off but only found herself sobbing harder. It would not do. It would not do to let anyone else see her cry.

She looked around her for any signs of escape. That was when she saw the clump of broomsticks that looked like it was designed to be her salvation. Her first mistake.

So it was that she was effectively hidden beneath the dark lonely corners of professor Lupin's office.

Behind a clutter of broomsticks, there was a girl named Peggy Price curled up like a ball, and was in a fit of sobbing it could, and probably would rival moaning myrtle to shame. And to add to her misery, she counted her galleons again. ("Here lies Peggy Price. A person that did not finish secondary education," - read the inscription to her tombstone.)

She was pretty much enjoying herself being miserable in peace when she heard the door creak and open with a light push. She was too miserable to bother seeing who it was. It was better to hide deeper and make herself scarce.

Alice approached the clutter of broomsticks in a corner. Slowly, the witch placed her hand on her wand and approach her.

"Lumos," Alice whispered and a bright light suddenly exploded from her wand, lighting up on her huddled figure. A girl sat curled up like a ball, her back pressed to the wall. She looked up at her intruder to reveal a tear-stained face.

Alice towered in front of her. She took Peggy on one look, noticed the wrappers, the tear-stained face, and the chocolate-dirty clothes she obviously did not care to protect from the stain. "And they ask me why so many people are still fancy Professor Lupin….What are you doing here? We are not finished with our operations."

"I'm just making myself scarce," admitted Peggy as she wiped her hands across her face. "I don't ever want to go out and talk to anyone ever again. I hate dances! I will stay here forever and ever."

"Yes, charming place you've got here," said Alice as she removed the cobwebs near her face with her wand.

"I can stay here forever," pressed Peggy, her eyes wide. "I'll just read all these books."

"Yes, then let professor Lupin discover a dead body after a few weeks," snapped Alice.

"You could bring food secretly up to me," cried Peggy, "then I needn't go out."

"And what about your tuition next semester?" asked Alice folding her arms across her chest. "Have you told professor Lupin about that already?"

Peggy paused. "Well,…well… no." admitted Peggy as she turned to face Alice. "It's so embarrassing, its like I'm asking for pity or something…"

"Don't be ridiculous," Alice fixed her friend with a stern look. "That's what head of the houses are here for. To advise us. To be berated with lamentations of the students about their acad life. Just tell him flat out and he will suggest letting you help with the elves or something along those lines. Or you could get up and we could make a bit of money over our new venture…"

"And before I forget, get up and wear this."

Peggy raised an eyebrow as her friend handed her a purple coloured dress robe. The fabric was soft, made of the finest materials that Madam Malkin had to offer and as Peggy glanced down at the fabric that pooled around her waist, her heart suddenly felt heavy. She couldn't wear this — not when it wasn't hers.

"Why?" she suddenly asked, startling Alice, "I thought we already talked about this? I haven't got a dress robe. You don't have an extra because 'people don't get rich for throwing away money on dress robes' you said, and I'm too unpopular in the dormitory to have the privilege of being in level with them to borrow one."

Alice shook the dress in her hand impatiently and tapped her foot.

"Where'd you get that then?" said Peggy.

"I don't show transparency on my finances. The point is, you are going to the ball."

Alice stared at her as her friend pushed her out of the way and began together several books in her hands as if reading to build a den — a den made entirely out of books. What was she going to do, bring her favourite pillow and blanket here?

"There's a simple solution to your problem."

"Really?"

She exhaled deeply and went directly to her dissertation. "In the convoluted politics of our world, the weak seek protection from the strong to serve as their military security. In return, the weak will offer the Strong his services such as food or other services. You need connections. You need to befriend a strong ally that will serve as your protector. Just like what Peter Petrigrew did when he hid behind the backs of the Potters and the Blacks and -

"and the Lupins!" Peggy clapped her hands as she happily added. "That's great. I'm going to follow your advice and befriend you right now."

"Hold that thought."

Peggy blinked. Behind Alice, the grindilow placed his hands on the glass as if also listening intently.

Then Alice finally spoke again. "…And what would you do for me Peggy, if I I swear to protect you?"

.o0o.

For the last several days, Violet's life had become more devious and the attacks that she subjected to had suddenly become more violent. When Tonks had originally attended Hogwarts from 84' to 91' life had been spectacular. She had been the younger cousin of Sirius Black, the mass murder and the little niece of a mad lunatic that the young witch had not only used that to her advantage but somehow gained the reputation of a devil. But now, in this new day and age, the story was very different.

Bellatrix Lestrange was dead, Sirius was off to Majorca, and no matter how many times the witch wished she could just drop their names in a present conversation, she knew she couldn't. Her guise would be in jeopardy and her target would run and so, Tonks bore the torment that students turned her way, channelling her emotions as several snot nosed brats pulled her chair out from under her and pushed her into the Black Lake.

The Black Lake wasn't somewhere where Tonks protocolary want to be, but alas, that was where the witch had somehow ended up. If it wasn't for the seventh year Hufflepuff — how dare her own house torment her in this way — the auror would not have met the Giant Squib for the second time. Apparently the cursed beast recognised her because after several failed attempts in mermish, (which sounded more like absolute gibberish), the Squib wrapped its long tentacles around her waist and had thrown her out of its home.

"Thanks!" gasped the witch as she retched, allowing the sweet air to refill her lungs. Slowly, the witch pealed her wet body off the ground, and ripped her jacket away from her skin.

"Great," whispered the witch as she felt her body moulding back into that of Violet's, 'dragon hide sticks to you like glue — great, now I have to find Remus,"

With that, the witch set off towards the castle. Hogwarts was eerily creepy at night, with it's twisted corridors and dark towers, Tonk had almost forgotten what it looked like — almost. In the battle of Hogwarts, some rooms had almost been destroyed, some obliterated entirely that when McGonagall had taken the heinous ask of rebuilding the grand castle she had needed several large blueprints; the Marauder's Map and an entire army of willing builders before she got it right. It was more then possible that she added an extra wing or two that by the time Tonk managed to manoeuvre herself around every bend and corner, she found herself staring at the pointed shoes of her husband.

"What happened?" asked Remus as he took in the dripping form of his wife, her hair falling down her face. Tonks scowled and folded her arms.

"I fall in the lake and the giant squid just came into the scene. He hates me, you know, we have this very complicated relationship…"

"Come with me." He headed down the long and twisted corridor.

Alice's and Peggy's micro-debate and musings were interrupted when the silhouette of a man clouded the door.

"Nox," whispered Alice.

Professor Lupin went inside. Followed by a girl they both knew was Violet, but would have been unrecognizable in her ruined uniform.

Peggy took in a sharp breath and was going to open her mouth to greet when Alice quickly covered her mouth and went down beside her, moving themselves deeper into the shadows of the broken broomsticks.

Quickly Alice pushed Peggy down the floor as Professor Lupin strode inside, a small figure trailing behind him. Violet's clothes were soaking wet, her body shivering a little too violently and as the young witch entered the disused classroom and looked around, an expression of disgust clouded her features.

Thankfully, Professor Lupin did not appear to notice them. He was too busy bending over, looking something amongst the pile of books to even see them.

"Sit on the chair," Lupin instructed. Violet plonked down the front chair of the desk.

The judgement seat; the seat were you were told, "Well done," or else, "I am disappointed in you." Peggy wondered which among the two was Violet being called for.

"How did you fall?" asked Lupin as he rummaged around the desk as he looked for an old rag — anything to clean off her face.

"I didn't fall," said Violet as she crossed her arms. Lupin paused and turned to face her. "I was pushed."

Lupin frowned.

"By whose fault was because of the false rumours a certain somebody spread out of petty spite," Violet's face flushed a deep red. Peggy blinked — was it her imagination or did her hair change too.

Lupin pressed a handkerchief to Violet's face. Peggy thought it lingered too slow for a bit, but she was probably just imagining it. Then he shuffled back to brewing a quick healing salve on one of the small cauldrons on the counter, disappearing from view once in a while.

"Any broken bones?" he asked. Violet snorted.

"Just about five," she said sarcastically.

"Are you in pain?" pressed Lupin as Violet lowered the handkerchief.

"Nooo," stressed the witch as she gave the Defence Against the Dark Art's Professor a sarcastic look. "Why should I be in pain after being pushed into the black lake?!"

He handed her with a clean set of clothes (folded and pressed).

"Bathroom is upstairs," said Remus. Then Violet went through a door Peggy could only assume was the secret door through the teacher's quarters.

Violet went downstairs, wearing fresh clothes, and trying to dry her hair with a brown towel. She found Lupin back to his routine paperwork.

"Why are you still frowning? Should I have called, 'Oh professor Lupin, save me, save me, give me cpr!'" she clutched her hands to her heart then fell to the chair in front of his desk, "But no. No sodding cpr for you miss Violet. But for Serenity Gertrude Blythe, I'll jump to the water carry her to the lakeside."

It was Lupin's turn to laugh. He looked at Violet and laughed quietly. "You are still holding me against that lake stunt?"

"To the grave."

"Do you want us to go back to the lake so I could take off my clothes and jump for you? To - what was it? Ahh… carry you to the lakeside like a lady…"

Violet was silent for a long time. "Is that a legit thing to ask for?"

"No," said Remus. "Kingsley will have your head, and then the next thing we know, we will be starving and out in the streets."

"Well, aren't you optimistic today," said Violet.

"Serenity gets carried to the side of the lake. But come here and we'll do something better," he patted his lap.

So Violet rose from her chair and go over his side of the desk.

Peggy gasped.

Violet Sharp, possibly the most impertinent girl in school — unpresidentedly just sat on his lap.

"We're going to do it tonight, you know," whispered Violet. "After that, I'll be assigned somewhere else."

"I apologize for your injuries," said Lupin.

"You don't have to apologize, Remus" said Violet.

"That's professor to you," corrected Remus.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I forgot." said Violet in mock politeness. "professor," said Violet.

Peggy held their breath as they sat, the half-moon collecting in mystical sphere around the them. She stared at the tableu absolutely mortified.

The Professor's hands were in his pockets, his gaze fixed on the ceiling above, comply unfazed and uninterested to the girl in his lap. Peggy closed her eyes. Any minute he was going to turn around and say, 'no,' loud and clear. He would explain what was stiff and what was normal — he had too. And so, Peggy waited. She waited for the sharp reprimand. She waited for the professor to say how disappointed he was. She waited for the detention slip. A detention slip that never came.

Instead, the Professor sighed a deep sigh. But instead of a sharp rebuke, Lupin looked down at Violet and smiled. "Well," he said, a small grin on his face as he leaned down and poised above Violet's head, "in that case..."

Alice covered her companion's mouth to stifle a scream that almost escaped her lips. Although she had all the right excuses to scream so, because for heaven's sake the professor and Violet were...well they were kissing.

The world once made sense. Then came the politicians.

One potatoe, two potatoe, three potatoe… she tried to calm herself down by counting mentally.

The furious looks; the unnerved attitude; the fact that he didn't want to accept chocolate from Violet…

Four potatoe five potatoe…six…

Thud.

Rattle, rattle , rattle went the other broomsticks that followed as it bounce off the floor.

The broom continued to rattle and echo silent dread across the room.

Peggy, a girl who's tears had traced down her face several hours before because her fellow peers had made fun of her pigtails — the Peggy who sought refuge in a neglected darkrooms with cobwebs — had ungracefully announced her presence by knocking the broomsticks to the floor.

Lupin jerked his head to the sound. A squeak, not unlike that of a gnome, emanated from the student when Lupin's eyes found her at last.

When Peggy realized it wasn't stopping sooner than what was normal and pleasant, she grabbed the broomsticks back to stand. It thudded noisily back to the ground anyway.

The professor approached hesitantly, his feet treading along the floor. She was a little red riding hood who was ready to bolt from the slightest sign of a snarl.

This was it, thought Peggy as she shut her eyes tight, she was going to die.

"Miss Price," said Lupin's soft voice. "Miss Forster, what on earth are you doing in here?"

Peggy gulped; licked her lips; scratched her freckles; gulped again and then, she finally pointed a shaking finger at Violet and her Professor. "Y.…You're making out with a student," she finally gasped. "And that's… that's…"

"Finish your sentence Peggy," said Alice after a pregnant pause.

"that's …. wrong."

Alice cleared her throat. "Yes, it's wrong on many levels," pressed the girl. "For starters, It's against the student handbook; grounds for expulsion; second, it's against the National Wizengamot Legislation of the Underage Marriage restraint Act, which by the way is punishable by law and third, we are also talking about the Anti-Marital Infidelity Law."

"What!" said Violet. "I'll have you know he's my-"

Professor Lupin quickly covered Violet's mouth and fixed her with a knowing look. "She's hallucinating," he calmly explained.

Violet let loose several angry muffles before she folded her arms and glared up at the elder man.

By the time Violet managed to rip Lupin's hand away from her mouth, Peggy was already staring at them in mortification. With a well-aimed kick to Lupin's leg, Violet launched her fast explanation.

"Y…you're his sugar-daddy," Peggy finally gasped. "She leaches money from you to provide for her son out of wedlock."

"I was here because he is my sister's cousin's brother thrice removed-and-burned-reinstated-afterwards, and we were going to have tea-"

Violet stopped mid-sentence when she registered the meaning of Peggy's last words. "What did you just say?"

"Oh," said Violet, her face beaming as realization dawned on her face. "Of course."

"You're his sugar-daddy," Peggy repeated. The professor burst out laughing. "You're smiling! Why are you smiling?" she pointed an accusing finger at her professor. "There is nothing funny about being a sugar-daddy!"

Violet nodded her head with a straight face. "I had to resort to drastic measures to survive. You know what they say, the perks of being a single mom." She patted her head in pity.

Beside her, Lupin was still in the fit of coughing on his sleeve.

Peggy nodded gullibly. "I understand. We all have to eat and buy vegetables," She gulped. "But I don't think I understand. Mrs Lupin wherever she is-" Peggy looked at the sky as if imagining the said Mrs Lupin to be watching from above, "…I think she will be very hurt. Are the rumours true that Mrs Lupin left you for a hunky dude in the island of Tahiti?"

Violet snorted and muttered something under her breath.

"Look Miss Price… We were just…" Lupin rubbed the back of his neck. Apparently after year of lying, his Marauder streak had run dry.

"Sneaking around?" hissed Peggy, placing a hand on her hip, apparently gaining her new-found confidence. "Hiding in nooks? Knitting corsets? Don't Miss Price, Miss Price me."

"What happened to your diplomatic power and ability to not get caught?" said Violet as she paused to turn on Lupin. Professor Lupin suddenly raised his hand, as if readying himself to speak but Violet stopped him with a wave of her hand.

"Never mind," said Violet. "I'll handle this." Then facing Peggy, she inhaled deeply and flashed her own diplomatic but slightly creepy smile. Creepy.

"Hello Peggy," she began. "How short are you for your tuition next semester?" She raised her eyebrows slyly as if she were one of those barbaric politicians.

"Uh... short," Peggy's voice was squeaky, and suddenly very faint.

"So how about we make a deal," the witch compromised. "We pay a third of your tuition expenses. No dropping out, no backing down. You can't tell anyone about us. There, no harm done, and you get another year in your education."

"But this is wrong!" cried Peggy as she stomped her foot. "What about your wife…" she pointed at Lupin, "and all those things about being good?"

"Let's see...how bendable is your moral compass?" asked Violet as Lupin looked at her alarmingly. Violet rolled her eyes and turned to face the Professor.

"It's okay Remus," she said. "We probably already ruined her innocent childhood."

"As an image of authority, I have a moral obligation to not let this bribery happen—," began Lupin.

"Moral obligation," repeated Peggy imperiously, loud enough that Lupin had to wince.

Thirty five potatoe… thirty six potatoe…

"What is moral with snogging a student? No, I am a person of integrity. Alice says I choose an image for the student body, then I choose to be morality, purity, the epitome of innocence, humanistic in spirit, dedicated to the service of the country and committed to the pursuit of truth —"

"We'll take it," Alice suddenly said and before Peggy could blink, Alice was already shaking hands with the both of them. "Half of Peggy's next term's tuition for our word of silence in your little affair."

"I thought I said a third," said Violet.

Alice raised her eyebrows. "Half. Fair's fair," she said.

Violet shrugged. "Fair's fair."

With that, Alice grabbed Peggy's hand and dragged the confused and slightly stunned witch out of the room.

"What are we going to do?" asked Peggy when the two were finally out of the office and standing in the dark and twisted corridor.

"We are going to head back to the common room and prepare for the party."

"No, Alice," hissed Peggy as she ripped her hand away from her friend. "I'm more worried about the fact that Violet is doing...things with our Defence Against the Dark Art Professor,"

"I thought we already did something about it," said Alice. "Now about the party, I need you to do something for me…"

Peggy sighed as Alice dragged her along the corridor and out of sight.

Just who was Violet Sharp, and what mysterious secrets lay underneath her head.


	17. The Alpha Wars

The great hall were already laced with expensive tapestries. Everyone was already in the spirit of the festivities. The common room itself was already buzzing excitement, as girls busied about while boys only pretended to (or at least they were getting flowers somewhere).

Alice, having dragged a pathetic whining Peggy from her deep hole, back into their quarters, she proceeded to instruct her on the right decorum of how to dress.

"Take off that hideous clothes you fancy calling as dress robes. The way you're dressing, people are mistaking you for a house-elf." said Alice. She handed her a necklace. "And here. Wear this."

"Woah, it's so shiny," said Peggy, examining the necklace. It was Emerald green pendant with a lace as a chain. "And look at that in the middle. It looks like a mirror... I didn't know you were a fan of jewelries Alice."

"I'm not," said Alice.

"But you should still wear this. It's yours. Why aren't you wearing one yourself?"

"It wouldn't do good for us to have the same jewellery. It makes it suspicious target. I've got the headband. She tapped her head.

"But the necklace is more pretty. You should wear it instead of me."

"No Peggy. It suits your dress better," said Alice.

Peggy threw her arms around her. "Alice, You're so kind," she sniffed.

"That's a beautiful sentiment, but, "

"Alice, I was thinking…" said Peggy as she dragged Alice back to the grand hall.

"Now there's a miracle," said Alice.

"What if Violet's not really Violet." said Peggy, fidgeting with the zipper. "What if she just pretends to be an idiot but is really a secret spy sent to take over the world?" Alice made an upward flick to zip her dress into place.

"You and your wild imagination. Spies don't take over the world. The leader of the conglomerate does. Forget about Violet Sharp. Remember. She's _not_ important."

"It was just a thought, so there!" said Peggy, crossing her arm.

"But considering you're not entirely stupid either, so very well. It is confirmed. Violet is an alien," said Alice.

"Actually, I'm from the future," said Violet, catching up on them.

"Your input is not needed," said Alice.

"For once in my life, can you just believe me?" said Violet.

"Not a chance," said Peggy, "I still say, you're a spy pretending to be stupid."

"You have trust issues, girl," said Violet.

"Yes, that's the most stupid theory I've heard so far. I'm telling you, she's an Alien," said Alice.

Peggy was about to retort but they already reached down to the common room. It was a fairly populated. The night, still being so far young, everyone bothered not to be too early.

When they entered, Laurence immediately went to her side.

"What is wrong with these people now? I thought the son out of wedlock is already old news," said Violet with disgust. "Why are they still avoiding contact with me at a ten-meter radius?"

Laurence approached them. "Have you heard the latest news?"

"What have I been doing this time?" asked Violet.

Laurence was about to reply, when a first year went to Violet and cut him off.

"Is it true, Violet? That you sneak out to the boy's dormitory at night?" said one freshman girl.

"That was one time!" said Violet.

The girl gasped. "So it is true!"

"Guys," said Violet to the fairly populated circle in front of her. "I hope you don't believe the rumours going around about me being a hooker. I try my best," she said pleadingly, "to be a good person, but certain people wanted to ruin it."

"Peggy, can't you even eat without chocking?" said Alice.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, " Peggy kept saying between coughs. Tonks offered her some water.

"Violet, " said Serenity kindly when she strode towards them. "I was just wondering if I could ask you."

Violet groaned. "Not again. If this is about the rumour, I fully deny it. I do not sneak around inside classrooms just so I could get a quick snog. That's not proper. That's not ladylike."

"No. I was not going to ask that. I just remembered, are you connected to the Lallave family? I wrote a letter to mama and she said the Sharps and the Lallave family are pretty close. We could be relatives. What are the names of your parents? Maybe my mama knows them."

"I doubt it," said Violet.

Serenity's speech gave the effect of what it was intended. Tonks looked around her. She was losing the crowd.

"She has no credentials," said one girl pointing at Tonks. But now it was followed by "She lied when she said she was from Bauxbatons. Look at her accent, hey? Not a tinge of French in it. I bet she just said that to be popular." Then she heard the all too familiar whispers starting again. Violet just sighed and rolled her eyes, but it was Peggy who felt her cheeks redden in mortification now that she knew they were probably right.

"Alright, listen up you people. There's a perfectly reasonable and convincing reason why my accent is not Frence It's not French because I'm not French and that was the very reason why we moved back to England. Wasn't it clear enough since the first day?" she said.

"Don't mind them. They'll find something better to do with their lives when they grow up," Violet whispered as she passed her when she went to get the hair-care potion she left on the table.

But apparently, it had been jinxed when they were gone for a bit and the contents went globing on top of Violet's head.

For a moment, she stood there, swearing under her breath and trying to get the gooey liquid out her skin. _This bullying is really getting out of hand. But Kingsley was right. Nobody suspects a thing except Peggy. _

Peggy's guess was so far the closest to her real origin with her…'_What if she was a secret spy pretending…'_

Peggy rushed forward with a pitiful handkerchief that would have made no difference whatsoever to the goo.

"Peggy, don't!" said Serenity Gertrude Blythe, suddenly pulling her by the elbows.

"Wait! Wait! Violet needs he-elp," she tried to tug away from her hold.

"I don't think it's a good idea," said Serenity.

"But she's hurt!" retorted Peggy.

Serenity glared imploringly at her.

"Curious," observed Alice, forever scribbling on her notes. "You think you are morally superior than Violet, and therefore get substantial pleasure from your status as being one of the tightly-laced crowd."

"I just don't want to condone such a behaviour. And I don't want Peggy to go down with her and be a bad influence," said Serenity, sounding annoyed.

"Excellent! Peggy, an offer is now before you. Serenity wants to redefine the social hierarchy. As long as Violet is the most disgraceful, she will be an angel in comparison, making her the perfect alpha in the convoluted politics of our year. I will remain as a social butterfly, and you-" she pointed at Peggy "-will be included as one of their circles as long as you don't step across and help Violet. You would make a nice addition to her populace of lower-order-beings. Peggy Price will be a person you are allowed to talk to, but Violet Sharp, nobody must approach. And there Peggy, would be your new elevated position. For once in your life, above someone else."

Peggy just stared blankly. "I don't understand what's become bad with being friends with people."

"Don't you want to be friends with Serenity, Peggy? She is offering her hand in friendship. You'd go to Hogsmeade together and you will be part of the cool crowd."

"The cool crowd? What are you talking about?" said Serenity.

"The cool crowd. In layman's terms, you're recruiting Peggy to be a suck-up. Or else, you'll make her life miserable."

"I haven't done anything bad to her at all," said Serenity.

"Let me try again," Alice faced Peggy. "Tell me, what exactly did Serenity Blythe say explicitly that you felt so bad you had to be pathetic for the whole night? Tell me how you feel."

Peggy sniffed. "Because you care about me?"

Alice was thoughtful. "Hmm. I was thinking along the lines of sifting some information for further use in future endeavours, but we could go with that."

"You're taking advantage of her!" said Serenity. "You will not take advantage of Peggy."

"I am not the one," said Alice icily "who tells Peggy to do things just because she is stupid and naive enough to not understand people's motives."

"Oh, just let her join her already," someone impatiently said. Then the next thing Peggy knew, somebody pushed her down to where Violet was.

"Watch it," said Alice, catching Peggy on her back. "She may be naive and inexperienced but she is not a complete idiot. Okay maybe she is, but she could always do the trick of hiding it and not making it blatantly obvious as long as she doesn't open her mouth."

"I'm not an idiot!" said Peggy.

A lot of people was now crowding near Violet. Some looked murderous, while some felt pity. But nobody actually wanted to help. To their dismay, some students took this as a cue to start harbouring hopes of an all-out food war. They were already fingering some of the food within their reach.

"Wait!" said Alice. Everyone waited a split-second to see if she was going to say something interesting enough to stop things from happening. "If you throw food at her, don't let it be the potatoes. That's as hard as rocks. You could at least have some morale and just throw tomatoes just like normal bashers do."

"Yes. " Violet finally found her voice. It was stern and angry, looking dignified with her eyes burning. Everyone turned to her for some final farewell speech. She looked straight at Serenity Gertrude Blythe. "I have a son. And I'm not ashamed of him. If he grows up to be a fine boy, then I would be very proud."

The people inside the common room looked at each other knowingly. _We're not buying it._

"The social bloodlust has started," said Alice, casually opening her umbrella beneath the growing tension.

Then it couldn't wait.

"Alice, the portkey, now!" Violet shouted.

Alice immediately threw a little blue stone towards Violet. It glowed, then it caught it on her outstretched hands. She promptly disappeared before the first tomato could land on her.

"Wherd she go? Where is she?" the students whispered.

"I'm here," Violet appeared behind Serenity. Tomatoes pelted on her direction but it was Serenity who got hit on the face this time. Everyone laughed. Voices and reason got drowned and thrown out of the window, along with some food.

Then it was all chaos, and uproar, and everyone was pelting food everywhere. There were pies and custard, and tasty cinnamon rolls. Peggy went to a corner and just tried to hoard every unspoiled thing she could see. Alice charmed her clothes to be food-proof. Some students charmed the food to do somersault.

Tonks, she herself still in the middle of organizing a mass operation, took out her shoes and socks(so as not to spoil them) then tiptoed herself quietly out of the warzone. But she never got outside the door. For at that moment, one particular teacher noticed the disturbance and stood to block the door itself. The moment she was spotted, Serenity gave a shrill scream and said Violet started it all. Which was unfair, but life was like that, you get used to it.

What Tonks did not know was that it would have probably been best if she did not stand behind Serenity when she was about to be pelted with the tomatoes. For as little as Serenity's power to affect their general operations even in the height of her social and higher-than-average spending power, she could still however potentially do some damage.

.oOo.

Violet looked around and felt a sense of nostalgia. They were back in his office.

Lupin was rubbing his temples, where a headache was threatening to form. "What happened this time?" Her two students were seated in front of his desk.

Both of them blabbed incoherently.

"Quiet!" Lupin said sharply.

They both felt silent.

"You first Miss Blythe."

"Sir, this is not the first time that Miss Sharp made a ruse. Usually," said Miss Blythe with an air of pride, "She sneaks to the boys dormitory."

"What?" said Lupin.

"Well, I guess because I was used to the fact that she does this all the time, I thought I shouldn't mention it."

"Violet? Do you sneak to the boy's dormitory?"

"Once, maybe twice," the student blurted. "But honestly, everyone does it. And I was only visiting Teddy," said Violet indignantly.

"That's a likely story. If only you were more responsible, and you weren't a black sheep rule breaker," said Serenity.

Violet face was brimming with suppressed anger.

Lupin looked at Violet."Now it's your turn."

"First of all sir, even if I sneak to the boy's dormitory, my intentions are entirely honorable. I don't even have to enumerate the reasons why I don't need to do that. One, I'm already pretty, logically, I'm not desperate as to sneak in there just to get a snog, two, I am-"

"I thought you weren't going to enumerate?" said Lupin.

"-not a liar," continued Violet, ignoring him.

"Look at this!" said Serenity pulling something from her bag. "I saw this dropped from her bag! It's my evidence." She held out a green pack. "And she had so many of these too! We saw."

"Let her finish." said Lupin rising his voice.

Violet gasped when she saw the packet. "I thought I threw all those away." she whispered breathlessly.

Lupin was holding the bridge of his nose. The headache was real.

"Well apparently not," Serenity smirked.

"It's a set-up! _Somebody_ thought it funny to put a whole sack full of those things in my bag. Probably to make a fool of me and spread false rumors," said Violet indignantly.

"That's what they all say." said Serenity.

"I'm telling you, It's not true! I'm a home-church-school-girl" said Violet. "That's the only places I go to."

Lupin rolled his eyes. "You both get detention. And you are forbidden to join the Yule Ball."

"What?" said Violet and Serenity.

"But Professor, I really really must go to this party. Please don't make it our punishment for us to not attend."

"See? All she thinks about are parties and boys!" said Serenity.

Violet looked at her as if she wanted to hit her in the head. _I've got half my MLE Unit team already deployed inside that hall. The rest are just waiting for my clear signal. And all she can think about is that?_

"I have a clean record, It was her that started everything," retorted Serenity. "She's a trouble-maker with no direction in life, and she'll probably still be hanging on stupid jobs at her thirties still talking about Quiditch."

"Who's stuck on stupid jobs on their thirties? I'm going to go to the Auror programme and work my butt out to get that insignia," said Violet.

"What do you know about these things, you're just a slut!"

"That's enough," said Remus.

"Th-that's not what I meant." said Serenity, apparently realizing her forwardness.

"I think we know perfectly well what you meant." said Violet, raising her eyebrows and tossing her hair in imitation of Serenity.

"Be quiet Violet," Remus snapped.

Violet jerked her hands a little backwards and knocked over a vase in the process. A sharp intake of breath and she was already flicking her hands to get rid of the sting.

"Can you, for once, be careful?" he said. Her hands were bloody from the china that just broke. "Give me your hand." He took his handkerchief and laid it on the table to cushion her hands. Its white colour was immediately tinted with red.

"I'm sorry," said Violet, visibly upset.

"I'll do it, professor. I'll take her to madam Pomfrey," said Serenity.

"No. She doesn't need to go," the professor opened one of his drawers and drew out a first aid box. While Violet kept receiving guilty stares from Serenity. He was tense and a bit frantic in finding the box.

"But sir, she needs special attention."

"No. I'm used to it. She need not leave the room." He attended to her wounds.

While he was removing the fragments and applying the necessary potions, she spoke again. "Professor, what about letting us attend the party? I promise to make up for it by doing detention for a month. Look, I'll even polish your shoes."

"I'll think about it," said Lupin in a softer tone. Then "Miss. Blythe, I do not approve of your apparent condensing attitude. Report on detention and think about what you've said."

Serenity's eyes widened in fear. "But sir, please. Everyone makes mistakes. This is the first time this has happened. What about Miss Sharp? Haven't she also messed up a lot in the past?"

"As a matter of fact, many times," Tonks winced at Remus' sudden but unintentional grip of her hand; the one with some shard of glasses in it.

Serenity's lips curved into a hidden triumphant smile.

"But she doesn't let others take her mistakes, and she doesn't lie just to cover-up hers." Straight face. Lupin is good at lying.

"Detention slips. Fill it up," he said to Serenity.

"And you," said Remus, turning to Violet.

"Yessir," said Violet, immediately sitting up straight.

"Stop stealing my Chocolate Fondue. It's only for the Grindilows."

Serenity sulked, filled up the form with trembling hand. Feeling ashamed perhaps, whilst Violet sat unaffectedly on the chair as she waited for her turn to sign her own slips. She must be only thinking about getting back to the party. And indeed, that was the only thing Violet was thinking about. Since their operation was about to commence.

"Now that it's all settled, you may leave," said Lupin.

"And Violet?" said Serenity.

"-will stay here. I need a word with her," said Lupin.

Serenity made a slight bow and left the office. As soon as she disappeared in a corner, Violet immediately flew to her wand to strike the door with an impatient locking spell. It shut and clicked lock on several places.

"You know," she told Lupin. "I've got a raid at nine pm."

"You didn't tell me," said Lupin.

"It's confidential. Not allowed to tell even to spouses."

"You told me just now," said Lupin.

"Because you don't believe me when I said I have to go to the darned Party."

"You don't look like someone who is about to go to a formal dangerous raid."

"_That the whole point!_ Nobody's supposed to notice."

Lupin went back to fixing her hand.

"Point is," she murmured, "my schedule is toxic enough. And YOU'RE NOT HELPING."

"I'll cook you a gourmet meal on Saturday," said Remus.

"You're wrong Lupin, if you think I could be won over simply by food. You must know by now that I'm a first-class woman, not those cheap ones who easily soften when groveled into."

"We will order fine-dining. The third-most expensive sushi."

Tonks stopped. She immediately turned her head at hearing 'expensive' and looked at him hard. "Really?" she looked distrusting. "Not the most cheap tasteless ones you always buy because you claim you know the value of money?"

"Yes," he resigned, internally cringing and already calculating his next financial amendment to keep their finances fit the budget mark, before he could remember that the said budget mark had already been set higher so as not to need extreme slim calculation. "The third-most expensive. - _What are you doing_?"

"I'm checking you for polyjuice! Remus never says fine-dining."

"I want the most expensive," said Tonks.

"Second-most expensive," said Remus.

"The most expensive. I'll pay the extra."

"Deal."


	18. Scarlet Robes in Hogwarts Part 1

a/n

This chapter was so hard to write. And I'm afraid it's still low quality made by someone still at skill 0. So sorry =(.

**VLightPhase:** Thank you for putting up with me and my OC's. These are my first attempts on making humans so they're probably underdeveloped fetuses as of the moment. The story arc is already finished so there is little chance that this fic will not be.

.oOo.

"Information is power. Don't give her any." - Eowyn Colfer, Artemis Fowl

.oOo.

**One week ago…**

"This is an MLE headquarters. Not some Hogwarts school field trip," the guard looked down at her. It must be a sight, seeing a schoolgirl go inside the Auror premises.

"Yes, We noticed," said Alice, trying to sound polite. Not her strongest suite.

"I need to see your clearance ID," the man replied with equal irritation.

The man's uniform looked young. And clean. Too clean. Too new. Some clear signs of a rookie.

"Buck up Brooke, it's only me," said the voice behind Alice. "Do I need to show you my badge?" It's surprising how Nymphadora Tonks' voice could be more imposing now that she was a foot taller.

Immediately, Brooke's eyes widened in slight surprise. "Tonks! Of course, get in, get in. Is this girl with you? Where did they send you this time?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Can't say anything. Kingsley will have my head."

"Kingsley will never have your head even if you mess up. You're too valuable."

"Thanks, but no one is really indispensable. Next time we know, my body might already be dumped somewhere just so they could shut me up. Constant Vigilance eh?" Violet waived her wand an a parchment appeared in front of him. "That's her pass. She's clean. " said Violet tilting her head to the girl beside her.

"Hardly any records if they're just fourteen-year-olds," murmured Brooke. "Get her up to the detection wards."

Tonks told her to step into the small-square platform, for examination and security purposes, anti-polyjuice and curse detector. A slithery blue light slowly snaked its way to her hands then to her body.

Brooke's eyes turned left to right to rapidly read the parchment. Then he examined Alice. "Alice Forster. She's a minor. We could get to legal glitches with this one."

"We had no choice. She's the girl for the job. We can debate on legalities later, " said Tonks.

The stone way in front of them finally opened. They stepped inside and it immediately groaned itself to close. She internally sighed. These days, doors seemed determined to close behind her and lock her up.

Their footsteps echoed across the dim brick halls.

"Don't get intimidated. This is not a staring contest," Violet whispered. She looked at her again and raised her eyebrows. "It's not a contest on who can keep their breaths the longest either."

"I'm not nervous. I simply being careful since I had just stepped into a new territory not yet in my database memory."

"Good. People fighting on unfamiliar territories are always at a disadvantage, they usually end up dead, butchered, beheaded, tortured," replied Tonks. "Just a reminder, in case you forget to not be careful and have-"

"'Constant Vigilance,' I know, I know. But that line is so chishe people seem to already forget the gist of the meaning of it. We've got to find other forms of speaking in order to communicate it more effectively."

If every healer in St. Mungos meet you with a smile, and every unspeakable in the Department of Mysteries meet you with a vague far-away stare, add the Auror department to your list of strange crazy people. People they met during their walk had their brows furrowed walking solid and stiffly on the pavement with upper-lips. And that was them, without even hearing them talk yet.

The MLE Aurors walked passed them as they walked towards the inner office; but Alice could feel they were already staring daggers even when they were not looking. They walked stiffly passed them, their eyes hollow, ruthless and alert. For of course, their job was to notice every detail. Any detail could become a hole, or an oppurtunity. Specially an intruder like herself. Though they never talked. Or greeted them good morning.

.oOo.

"Rebert, the Head is calling you,"

Robert sighed. "I told you a thousand times, Abbot. It's Bran, not Robert, or Bertie, or Burton. Just Bran. And what is it this time? Did it snow in his office again?"

"No. You're to go to Floor four, Section fourteen," said Abbot.

"Auror Department, section fourteen? Isn't that the Classified Opera- "

"Shut your mouth and just go! You don't have to shout it to the whole office."

"Right. Of Course."

This department is rumoured to contain the most vicious and crazy people that was ever privileged to walk on earth. And you cannot get in unless you are crazy yourself. Which means he is probably going crazy right now.

He stared at the door in front of him for a full long minute. The door in front of him was too silent he was half-convinced he was just hoaxed.

That place did not need dread of Dementors. It was going to breed a whole new kind of magical beast.

.oOo.

"This is the layout of Laurence's fortress. He calls it the Lucedo Labs. This is where he develops the stolen research from the DepMys." Alice put down a blueprint on the table where a handful of people were gathered. They had locked themselves up in one of the department's brick walls. She looked up from her paper to the whole set of hardened expectant faces that looked back at her.

But before she could continue, the door opened noisily and two men entered. The first one was in Scarlet Robes while the other was wearing something wooly. "Kingsley, What's going on? Abbot sent me to section four just all of a sudden. "

"We'll just explain later. For now, just listen to the kid," said Kingsley.

"That boy is obsessed with R and D. He has the money, so It's only natural for him to build his own research facility."

Kingsley frowned. "With something contraband that could possibly ruin our entire existence."

"Which brings me to question why the Department of Mysteries is developing it in the first place," said Alice.

"The Department of Mysteries had a special clearance to start the operations," said Kingsley.

"Yes. Just like the muggles developing Nuclear Weapons and lying through their teeth about it," said Alice.

"What Kingsley meant to say was that it was debated by the Wizengamot," said Tonks. "The conclusion is, if we don't get ahead of the enemy, we will be the one obliterated. It's a dangerous and powerful research that could render the user as all-powerful. The DepMys was trying to make it in case somebody figure out a way to invent it sooner. Since it's certain that anyone could stumble upon making it anytime. We were trying to prevent future problems and develop the antidote that could reverse it. That is why our DepMys got clearance to make it, so they could make a potion that could counter its effect," said Tonks.

"It could have been destroyed like the sorcerer's stone," suggested Abott.

"We certainly had a trial. Only with the core Wizengamot. They decided it was time we took the next step and take the risks. We might want to revaluate that," said Kingsley. "It might have been better to just not create the Merville Project in the first place. But still, it would make us as vulnerable if we don't advance."

"But how could a boy own his own research facility?" Alice pursed her lips and looked up at her inquisitor who introduced himself as Robert (but everyone kept calling Bran). His clothes looked like he just got it from Salvation army hand-me-downs. He had a round face and his hair was tied back in a tiny ponytail near the top of his head, which he dyed blond. The ponytail, that is. Not his whole hair. But what bothered her the most was the beard that was growing in uneven order looking very undignified as it only stuck out and curled at some points of his chin, thereby making it not uniform. All of these things presented in front of her, which rather begs the question: why did they hire him? His eyes were wide and curious. Jealous too.

"Don't get too fascinated. I'm not going to rest until I turn the whole place down into rubble," said Kingsley.

"Where did he get the funding?" insisted Robert.

"The funding is from his father. His father owns a Muggle company called TechnoLock. Are any of you familiar with it? No? I expected as much. It's a company that used to specialize in normal mechanical locks. But now with the advent of market competitiveness and the pressure on muggle companies to go global or else fall behind and perish, it was only natural for them to develop new products. Cards, time keys, biometrics, retina scans, you name it, and they manufacture it. And now they hold a relatively big slice in the market. In fact, roughly ten percent more than their nearest competitor.

"So Laurence has got it all. The funding, a full-fledged research team, and a high-end facility. I suspect the The Lucedo Labs is probably stashed somewhere in a muggle building part of London."

"We should probably go to London," said Abbot.

"We don't need to. London is too big to be searching for one room that was probably inside an extension charm." said Tonks. "For all we know, it could all be inside stashed up in an inconspicuous cabinet or an attaché case lashed with extendable charms he carries around with him."

"But we know this is not the case," said Alice. "Since he had hired a full team of muggles to carry out the research, we know for a fact that it's probably situated in one of their company branches. Still, searching it in their high security offices is not something easy."

"Then how the hell do we find it?" said Robert.

"This-" Alice pointed at one corner of the room in the blueprints - "is the Portal Room. It's filled with a lot of doors that lead to different places. He could reposition the portal of these doors to lead anywhere in the castle. That's why the authorities will not even see a shadow of it. Each doors itself is heavily guarded with top-industry security- in both muggle and magic fashion. It will be hard to pry open but we'll try a couple of tricks."

"Once inside the Labs premises, you cannot get out unless you drink a potion that makes you forget everything that happened inside the building. His employees, all his hired team have no recollection on what they have been doing inside. Once they're inside again, their memories are restored, then they leave it behind when they leave the building again. Thus, the statue of secrecy is not leaked. As expected. Clean and neat. "

"And of course, Illegal," said Tonks.

"Everyone knows illegal is always faster," smiled Alice.

"-and more dangerous," added Kingsley for clarity and legal purposes.

"What magic does he use? Was he able to breach the Hogwarts security by another Vanishing Cabinet?" asked Robert.

"No, he used the basic floo powder mechanisms. Your magical world has a lot of virgin territories. He's just taking advantage of the crude materials," she replied. "He simply uses liquidized floo powder constantly feeding the fire to keep a portal open and connect two places."

"Not possible. He can't hide the records of apparition via floo. All the floo powder network is registered in and out. All of it is recorded and traced," said Robert again.

"Mr. Robert," said Alice. "All security features has holes. It's only a matter of exploration. I suspect he did some basic masking. He hid the real address of the floo transaction by making the signal transfer seem to happen in a different inconspicuous place. Or else he created a different Network entirely; One that is not connected to the main. There are many ways he could do it as long as he gets creative."

"Fake the place of transport?" said Robert.

"Virtual. I suspect he channeled the connection first to an inconspicuous location, then masked the rest. Like using Virtual part real environment to trick the records. If you want to conduct a simulation to recreate the fields, to know if it's indeed possible, I'd be happy to oblige. But as of the moment, we have a different task," said Alice. "We have to retrieve the Merville Project before he perfects it as a weapon."

"Kingsley," interrupted Tonks, getting in to the business. "The soonest raid we could conduct is during the party this Saturday."

"Good thing the research is not finished, or else, we might already be in heaps by now," said Robert."

"No," said Alice and Tonks at the same time.

"As we speak, he is finalizing the prototype ready for a test trial release this coming party this Saturday. All hell could break loose this Saturday," said Tonks. "I need your permission to release for a full-bodied team in this operation. I need Robert, the delta unit for tracking and some people pulled in from the sigma team," said Tonks.

"What do you propose?" said Kingsley.

"We confiscate his research. With full Auror legal and military force," said Tonks.

"And I want figures on Auror drills you had on muggle terrain. Perhaps against guns and Snipers? These things could be more deadly than Avada Kedavra, seeing that the speed of Avada Kedavra can still be dodged. Dueling is different in that the moment the enemy says the beginning of the spell, you can already think of a counter-move to match his attack or to render him immobilized. A gun on the other hand, has the average speed of 1 kilometer per second," said Alice.

"We usually cast a shield charm," said Tonks.

"A shield charm's casting speed is slower than that of an average gun," insisted Alice. "A bullet is faster than a wand spell. And even if you can fire expelliarmus at one spell per second to disarm your enemy an Automatic hand-gun can fire twenty bullets by then. Enough to kill a whole grocery store full of people before they are challenged."

"You don't need to worry, Alice," said Kingsley. "Our Aurors have the best weaponry. Their issued wands can cast five speechless spells per second. Anyone who can't produce more than that can pack their bags home. Our drills have also taken muggle-weaponry into account."

"Anyone of you thought of automatic wand spell casters so the Aurors just have to hold it and let it fire for more?"

Tonks shook her head. "You can't do that. Magic fuels the wands to work. That's going to drain their magic easily."

"I sometimes wonder, if this is all just a hoax. There will come a time that your wands will be nothing but just a stick that can produce cheap tricks. Not to offend you or anything, but you're falling behind really fast. I sometimes think you depend too much on this magic to make everything functional. Has any of you searched for alternative sources of energy that could provide for your community? Or you know, double-layer automation for more efficiency?"

"Alice, the wizarding world is not as fragile as you think," said Kingsley. "We have no recorded case yet of anyone being shot by a gun."

"We usually attack first before they could pull the trigger, let's leave it at that for now," said Tonks.

"That's good. But it may be because the wizarding community tend to stay and live in quiet rural areas where werewolf packs and manticores pose a greater threat on their safety. Thus, the Defense Against the Dark Arts Curriculum."

"We have learnt to defend ourselves against adversaries such as powerful dark wizards who can topple day and night. Though my encounters with muggle weaponry is not that broad, I guess we can pretty much handle guns," said Tonks.

"All the same, I want a simulated drill. See that there are no loopholes in our military procedures, in case we encounter a crossfire inside."

"But we just have to find the damn door and we force our way in, right?" said Abbot.

"Not this time," said Alice. "You didn't really think Laurence would make that easy don't you?"

"What could possibly be harder than opening a door?"

"To make this door appear in the first place. You mustn't underestimate Laurence. We are talking about a boy who very likely have been trained since childhood to find any hole in any kind of security. I've no doubt it may be the past-time of his father to lock him out of the house just so he could be forced to look for a loophole and get inside."

"That would explain why he easily got inside the DepMys building," said Tonks.

"Yes, He'll probably bust himself out of Azkaban in just three hours. It's relatively useless to lock him up."

"So how do we find the portals then?" asked Robert.

"You need three types of identification: a wand to confirm your identity, an encrypted identification number only people inside knows the pattern, and a secret spell unique for every entry. If the three doesn't match, then it's not going to appear. The place is untraceable. And if you can't find an evidence, it does not exist."

"We bang the whole thing with magic until it explodes and opens."

"You can't bang on something that does not exist. This is a thing you can't open with brute force. In fact, you would just be doing Laurence a favor because I highly doubt he would pass up the oppurtunity to see your hidden arts on door opening. He'll just have it recorded and studied. Then there you would be, with one less trick on your sleeves and still no portal."

"How do we open it then?" asked Bran.

"The question is not how, but when." Even though Alice had her back to the torch, you could almost feel her cold satisfied smile.

.oOo.

"So pretty!" said Peggy holding her hand out, trying to catch some of the little floating lights on the air. But she soon stopped when she saw the Grand Hall. There were carvings of snakes on the wall with all its scales intricately done. There were also carved branches leaves on the sidewalls specially transfigured for today. Peggy touched one and it immediately turned into gold. She backed away in surprise only to notice that all around her, it was also happening. People touched it and then it went back to silver again. This made the room dance around in its colour. The music itself made you want to waltz and float when you walked.

In almost all corners of the room there were island trees that shoot up to the top straight, then branch out its intricate leaves to make it into a sort of table that held little wells that served as pitchers (that were extendable and bottomless) stationed everywhere. Their patterns with the handles painstakingly transfigured, with orange and lemons on the side. She immediately went after one of them not to squeeze herself a cup, but just to see how the magic works when they put it on her glass.

But it was not so much as the grand hall that was lavished with intricate carved patterns, but the people itself. They were all dressed in fine you could not decide which one you would want to wear best. But she needn't wear one of the other's dresses because she herself was wearing a white dress that had lavander flower-patterns in it. When she moved her hand, her skirt would follow crimply.

"What's it called?" asked Peggy.

"Georgette. It's called a georgette. With a lace fabric overlay attached to your hand for movement."

Peggy lifted her hands up to survey her dress again. "Thank you," said Peggy.

"For what?"

"For letting me come to the party. It feels like you're my fairy god-mother who went to give me a dress at the last minute when I thought all hope was lost, and I couldn't go anymore."

"She had a fairy Godmother."

"No. She had a witch for a Godmother who had advanced skills in transfigurations. Still, Everyone knows transfiguration lasts only for five hours at most."

"Well, it was her Godmother still," insisted Peggy.

"Why are you so romantic?"

"Why are you so realistic? We're practically living out of a story-book," as they would probably argue up until they reach the front, it's best they be left alone.

.oOo.

Back during their order days, Remus had emphatically insisted that he doesn't dance except slow waltz, and specifically cannot dance on blaring weird sisters music. But Tonks had grabbed his hand and he found himself tumbling into the middle of the lights. She then proceeded to educate him with a few dance steps. She said it was called, 'Doing the Laundry Moves'. "This stuff's so easy, even grandpa could do it" words that did not at all help her case. But she was desirous to be followed. The moves involved with her hands scrubbing away non-existent clothes, ("This move is when you're scrubbing the clothes.", "This one is when you're hanging it to dry, This one is when you're finally ironing it"), though with the help of her hips they were rather thrown into a beautiful fluid motion more than dance-floor worthy.

Now that was all good inside Grimauld when your audience were only stuffed vultures and beheaded elves, throw Sirius in the fray. Needless to say, in front of a number of people, it was disconcerting. Looking at it now with fresh eyes only made his eye twitch.

Earlier that evening, Tonks had went down the stairs wearing a purple dress. She walked down the aisle, ranking as one of the most beautiful across the room. Remus stopped halfway through drinking his glass, hiding a soft smile. She descended the stairs with ease. He found himself staring starkly before he could stop remembering that he did not have the liberty to revel in her beauty. Around him, a couple of boys had turned their heads, apparently doing the same.

She stuck fast to her resolution of having no frills. Nevertheless her hands were gloved, but her fingers was not included on the covered parts, which made her look rather like a punk witch even in a ball. Her dress was in red covered with She graced him with one of her warm smiles, with a series of face movements she gave the impression of a message, 'I give you permission to stare at me, just don't let everybody know were related.'; a sentiment which he shared with her in mutual understanding.

There was a small black veil that covered her sharp eyes wholly. The moment she stepped inside the room, three men were already starting towards his direction.

Laurence from behind him went forward to claim her hand, just as Remus took his first glass and drained it in one gulp. Tonks frowned when she saw this. See this is why Kingsley does not want emotionally invested individuals to be in the case.

"Hello," she greeted.

"Cool earrings," said Laurence. Noticing her sparkling earrings.

"Thanks you. I transfigured them myself," said Violet.

"You did? You seem to be able to do a lot of things. Is there anything you can't do?" asked Laurence.

"To cook. I was banned me from the kitchens after I made the potatoes alive to cook for themselves. For my defense, they were smidgy little gits who were thrashing the place because they wanted someone better to cook them."

"You charmed the potatoes alive instead of just enchanting its peelings?" said Laurence, who didn't know if he ought to laugh or otherwise.

"No, I charmed it to peel, then got impatient. I thought it would save more time if they peel for themselves," said Violet. Then, after a while, she asked him, "I thought you did not want to imply that we are in any way related…"

"Are you going to dance with Anyone?" asked Laurence.

"The giant squid. You of course! Who else?" And before he could protest, she took his hand and dragged him forward without any more struggle.

"I can see that no love is lost between us, so we might as well take advantage of it," he offered his hand lazily to his side, his eyes already gazing straight ahead.

Violet grabbed it immediately. "Come on Laurence, they put Hover charms on the dance floor to make the dancers float this year. We simply must try it," She dragged him to the center. The moment they stepped nearer, Tonks noticed she was not stepping on hard ground anymore. But on air. Higher and higher they went until she had to struggle with the knot on her stomach which she suspected was made of jelly. Each of their step carried them an inch more above the ground, just like everyone around them.

She was dancing with Laurence, while Remus quietly sipped his wine, his eyes surveying her every move. Please don't tell me she's going to do her improvised laundry moves she insists is dead sexy . It's a good thing she's undercover. No good ruining his authoritative image over one night of shenanigans. He quietly edged away and watched from a distance. The room will not even notice if he sighed for a bit in a corner.

Remus was in the middle of looking for a perfect adjective to describe her dance ("Grindilowy? hippogriffy? I refuse to sink to this level and will think of more stylish and conventional words in my vocabulary")

"I thought you were going to bring your wife today, Remus," said Professor Grummy Plank, Professor Grubbly Plank's son who took over the position.

"She's… rather busy at the moment," said Remus, as he was eyeing over the people dancing in the middle.

"Again? Oh, I see," said the man, then muttered something about 'cases clearly headed for divorce.' Then he went away, taking with him a glass of butterbeer.

.oOo.

The door burst open from one of the secret entrances. Boots noiselessly ran through the corridors. Men with their eyes alert and their wands on their chests, looking far ahead for any sign of sabotage. In the height of the pool of lights, quite oblivious to the noise of the Party in the Grand Hall, 20 Aurors were not seen speeding. They wore high standard invisibility cloaks as standard protocol. Blazoned in the glory of their scarlet robes (that were invincible) and shining badges (that were also invisible), they marched through, their curriculum on stealth and tracking, as well as their years of experience doing them justice. Wand in hand, and defensive in position, they started their steady advance.

They had to attack today. Intelligence inside the organization said that they were launching a massive project during the night of the party. Which meant portals will have to be positioned in order to flow all resources into the machineries. Laurence Fetcher will need some of the portals constantly open, so he can't immediately instantiate lock-down and sever the connections. It was the perfect timing to attack on different entrances. He may want to close it upon detection of intrusion, but he will have to risk destroying his environment set-up on the project launch. It was a full proof plan. And even though it was a new territory, the Team was fairly confident it will go according to the planned operation. After all, how different could this raid be from the common ones they usually hold?

.oOo.

"I'll get you a drink," said Laurence, then went off to one of the towering fountains.

When Laurence was gone for the time-being, Violet whispered to herself, seemingly talking to no one. Or rather, she whispered to her earrings, who was secretly holding a communication mirror. "Potter, are you in position?" said Tonks.

"Roger Chief. My men are positioned on most three of the known entrances." replied Harry.

"Good. Peggy?" asked Tonks.

"She will be headed shortly in her task," Alice reported.

"Alice?"

"Also in position," said Alice.

Just in time, Laurence came back balancing two glasses with him.

"Dance with me?" said Violet, stretching her hand.

In the north side of the castle, on one silent semi-dark corridor, a man with a strong build in Scarlet Leather Robes and Heavy boots be seen facing a cupboard corner. He looked at his watch and exhaled deeply, raised his hand and to start his chant.

It was time.

The first spell shot the door with fervour. No many miles away from him, the moment he struck his first blow to challenge the door to open, alarm has set off. It was like waking up a sleeping dragon.

He was now waiving his hands in front of the spare potions cupboard, muttering a series of incantations as the start of his long gruelling work in opening this door, the only thin line of security between him and the opened fire port inside. With any luck, he would get inside before the Laurence's team catches up.

.oOo.

Remus drank his third glass in one gulp, one hand holding the edge of the table. He let out a silent sigh. Miss Williams was beginning to approach him again.

"Remus? Have you lost your judgement?" said Miss Williams.

"Is there something wrong?" Remus asked.

"That girl. You let her inside the party even after that ruckus. I thought you had better discretion than that. You were handling the Griffindor house so well before…"

"It will not do good to let false rumours impair your judgement on the girl, " said Remus.

"Perhaps you're the one who's judgement is impaired. She doesn't look like a model student at all, so very much unlike you in manner and speech. I don't understand why Minerva wants to give her a prefect badge. Aren't you bothered?"

"I don't consider myself as a good judge of character, but I believe I see nothing wrong with permitting her inside the premises, even though her dance moves are err…. " It turned out he still haven't decided yet on the adjective to use after all. "… It seems to still be in the border of decency, if perhaps a bit unconventional, but otherwise alright."

"No. I am not talking about that. I am talking about the excessive flirting," said Miss Williams.

Remus looked at Violet and Laurence. He was whispering something to him and she giggled when she heard it. Laurence was enjoying the company. "Don't let it ruin your night," said Remus slightly bowing his head in goodbye.

"Certainly will not let it ruin mine." said Emma casually. Seeing that Remus made no attempt to reply. She held her drink and stood closer to Remus. "That's a really good song they're playing now. Very good for dancing."

Laurence and Violet were at the centre of the stage, both their hands held high for her twirl. "Indeed," said Remus.

After a pause, Emma said again, "You do know we are allowed to dance?"

"Yes, but I don't dance," replied Remus.

"Professor, can I talk to you for a second?" said Violet, approaching them after dancing from the centre. "To the dance floor."

"I don't think so," said Lupin.

"It's crowded, you're allergic to dust, you're allergic to students, what's the reason this time?"

"I don't think it would be necessary to be seen with you, as you -er.. what was that move you call?"

"Sir, if you keep on hating physical activities like this, you're going to be fat. It's not healthy. The way you keep harping about eating greens, but never even getting your head out in the open."

Tonks offered her half-gloved hand. Her grin broadened.

Lupin looked down on it then back at her face. She flashed her a smile. He took it.

"Thank you," said Violet. His hand was on her waist while the other was tucked behind his back. Violet's hand was on her sides as they stepped to and fro for the first step of the dance.

"For what?" said Remus.

"For taking the risk."

Remus frowned at her. "It was not worth the risk."

Violet's hand was now on his shoulder, the other still falling gracefully down her skirt.

"I had this dream where I came running after you and shouting and you just stood there with your head down on the bulwarks of a ship as it sailed slowly away to watch me scarred." she sighed.

For one agonizing moment Remus Lupin looked at her in silence. Trying but failing to find words of comfort. He did not want to see those features pained. "You would have gotten over it, and lived to see many suitors come your way," he whispered, his eyes looking over to the beaus.

"And if I don't, you would have broken both of us," said Nymphadora.

He didn't answer, his face trying to hide his own pain. He gripped her more forcefully, afraid she would be taken away by just one whiff of the wind.

"Smile for me?" said Nymphadora.

It was a few moments before Remus decided and remembered to smile. He held out one of his hand stiffly, she took it and made a twirl.

When she landed forcefully on his chest, cautioned by her hand, she started speaking again this time, very fast, every word of it could cutting through walls. "That person on the right. Do you see him?" She shifted him to the right for him to get the view.

"Yes, " he said.

"He's from the ministry. He'll be keeping an eye on all the suspects to keep them from being alerted of the raid. It's important that they won't notice, or else Laurence may send the signal to close the portal… but, but that's highly unlikely if his toys are still connected from the inside. That's why we need to strike now that he's preoccupied. So, He wouldn't know what hit him," she continued.

"And you? " he asked, taking her cue. "Where are you stationed for this operation?"

"I… I will be dancing back with Laurence Fletcher. Is that alright? "

"Yes dear."

"Good. Now I will be back tomorrow. We're going to that waterfalls you told me about. On the forest that had a herd of hippogriffs…"

"Yes."

"After I finish this, It's all going to be back to normal," she assured him again. "I'll cook your favourite soup."

"How… reassuring…" said Remus.

With one twirl, she was back to Laurence, her eyes twinkling malice, no trace of unhinging in her face, the hoard of lights hit her smooth curves.

Then suddenly, inside Laurence's pocket, there was an insistent beeping. He looked at his phone once, then his whole demeanor changed.

"Primary security about to get breached."

"You said something?" asked Violet beside him.

"There's something I need to take care of," he said.

"And leave me in the middle of the party without a beaux? How convenient," Violet smiled.

"Darling," Laurence leaned to whisper in her ear. "We both have our own roles to fill. Yours was in Hogsmeade. It's my turn now. It's just fair for both of us."

As soon as he turned his back to walk impatiently out of the throng of people, Violet issued her next set of military command. "Laurence is headed to position right now. Execute the next operation."

.oOo.

His quick steps echoed the hallways as soon as he went out of the room. Behind him, he could still hear the sound of the music, getting fainter. Jasper immediately joined him on his left.

"We've got an attack," said Laurence walking very fast. "It was pretty planned tonight, when we have an ongoing operation, and we have an open floo network to the labs."

"How many of them do you think we have to bring down?"

"I've got a live-feed. There's only one person waiving his wand down the potions cupboard station. Looks like a veteran. Yet why is he alone?" said Jasper.

"Then he is not a Veteran." replied Laurence. "Contact the others. All the same, we'll be preparing for a hard fight."

.oOo.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Tonks asked Alice, when Laurence just waked quietly out of the room.

"Fifty five percent probability. Laurence will not risk his ongoing experiment ruined. He will not stop at anything just to salvage it and keep it going," said Alice. " Follow him."

She did not need to be told twice.

.oOo.

"Laurence wait!" He looked back, Violet was catching up behind him. He stopped for a moment for her. "If you're trying to get through to the south wing, I know a shortcut." Violet didn't wait for him. She took a step back and flashed a smile then headed right.

He hesitated for a second, then followed. His entourage followed after him. She soon led them to narrow unfamiliar passageways. "If there's something Laurence could not resist, it would be some useful information."

When he arrived at the potions cupboard opening, his worst fears were realized. There standing in front of him, was the towering figure of an MLE, in his scarlet-robed wand-bearing man with heavy boots. The man's face turned back from his team, who had already silently positioned themselves behind him, ready to bring him down.

Laurence held his hand up to hold fire. The man's two arms were stretched on the front of the portal, sweeping wide strokes with his wand with all his might, trying to force the door open. The moment he breaks the wards, it would immediately bring him inside the Lucedo Labs. So much for his beautifully crafted security system. Any other day and it would only have been another piece of wall. And right now, he could end it. He could activate and stop all the connections to the Lucedo Labs, but it would mean the stop of his ongoing experiments in the grand hall. Too much resources wasted, and it would take another special event to set-up the environment again. No. He can clean up this one. Just one fry cockroach out of the operations and it would still be running.

He signaled one of his cohorts to attack. One MLE member could be easily obliviated. Then they could send him back to his masters with false reports. It was a better alternative..

"One far-range attack was enough to send a body-binding spell," said Jasper on his right.

"No," Violet stopped his hand. "Body-binding spells have a weakness. It's execution time is so long the person can still insert a blocking spell in the middle. Disarm him first," said Violet.

Laurence nodded.

"Expelliarmus!" The fast spell broke the growing tension in the room. Somebody else shouted Levicorpus before the wand even went shot off his hands, then he was upside-down.

The Auror hung above them by the ankles above ground. Laurence allowed himself to smile. Only for his eyes to form into an angry slit. The man just flicked his hand down and another wand slipped into his palm from somewhere hidden in his shoulders.

The Auror shot a quick unbinding spell in his ankles, then used his leverage to do a somersault and get out of his human barricade security. He landed safely outside the circle of guards with a simple extended hover-charm. Then started the running. Spells were fired from either side of the party. He turned in the corner, effectively buying himself a few seconds of cover from his pursuers. Their spells shot the corner wall uselessly.

"Catch that Auror!"

The moment Laurence turned the corner, he extended his hand straight and sent a blocking charm on the far end of the hallway before he could escape out to the vast center corridor that could hide many directions. The Auror stopped on his tracks. One more duck in the head and he flashed his cloak and disappeared behind its invincibility. The search for him began.

They all swept from room to room, trying to find the Auror who escaped. It won't be long. Because he already anticipated the use of Invisibility cloaks. He signaled everyone to get their heat-censored glasses. There was a frantic opening of cupboards and closets. Rooms were made bare and banged doors were silently banged. Still, they saw no sign of the Auror.

"Find him! I want this place clean," Laurence instructed.

Just how much level of sophistication does the MLE have? The last time they did his research, they were doing extensive dueling drills. He did not know yet their formidability regarding stealth. They are going to be a formidable enemy. All the more reason for him to catch the Auror and obliviate him.

"We found him!" came a shout that he was finally waiting for.

They levitated the body to his front. "Unconscious?" he asked.

"Yes boss, "

"No. I meant, did anyone of you stun him unconscious?" he asked again.

"No. He was already unconscious when we found him."

"Laurence," said Violet uncertainly. "Don't you think it's a little bit weird? Just finding the Auror unconscious all of a sudden?"

"So he bumped his head somewhere and collapsed," said Jasper a bit strongly. His feet was already tapping the floor.

Violet shook her head. "It's too convenient. I think you should recheck everything…"

Laurence looked hard at Violet. "Alright. Bind him. And lift the blockage spell on the hallway. But first, I want you to clean the scene. Wipe the ashes and everything that would have indicated a fight."

Everyone did so. But he heard someone mumble, "What's he saying? There's hardly much to clean here." But they obeyed anyway. Sometimes, one does not question the insanity of their employers if they're issuing orders. It must be just a mild case of OCD. After all, he himself helped in the cleaning by going to one of the rooms and fixing things a bit.

Then up outside, Laurence heard it. The sound he's been waiting for.

"He's here!" shouted Violet. Before a boy could step out of the vast hallway, Violet stepped out of the shadows and grabbed him.

"Well, Jasper, I gave no permission to leave. Where are you going?" said Laurence.

"I was just going to check the perimeters boss," said Jasper.

"Don't you think it's too convenient a time to leave when everyone is busy inside the rooms? I gave no orders for anyone to leave the perimeter," said Laurence. He went forward.

Jasper looked at him confused. "I just naturally assumed since you lifted the blocking wards already-"

"Stupefy," he said lazily. Jasper was thrown back to the wall.

"Your clothes are upside-down," said Laurence, holding his wand threateningly near the side of his face as if to punch. "You switched polyjuice with Jasper and knocked him out. You can't simply expect me to find an unconscious body for no reason."

"Check for his polyjuice," said Violet.

Before he could shoot a Revello spell to dispel the polyjuice, his face changed itself to its own accord. Laurence expected the face to change to that of the man with a strong build, Auror material, but instead, the figure shrunk to that of a school girl: her leather Auror jacket slowly burned to reveal a thin georgette fabric.

"Alice sends her salutations."

It was Peggy Price.

.oOo.

"Hurry up Bran! We can only buy you about twenty minutes."

"It's not that simple!" Bran barked. "You've got me under invisibility cloack I can hardly flick my wand. And this thing is complicated. And don't tell me that it's Auror basics, because I'm not an Auror!"

"I thought you said you could already do it after studying the blueprints?" said Kingsley.

"In theory, there's no difference between theory and practice, but in practice, there is," said Robert rhetorically.

"We'll, this is a one-time-big-time. You've got no other chance to practice," said Kingsley icyly.

"Roger that boss," said Robert. It was his paycheck and his career on the line, and honestly, he was sweating like a pig and he was running out of snappy retort. Kingsley must be running out of snappy retorts too because he left him in peace for four minutes.

"Alright, get out of the invisibility cloak and do your work properly," said Kingsley after the four minutes were finished. Robert lost no time getting out of his cloak and rubbing his hands greedily. "Abbot, guard the perimeter."

"Roger, chief!" A young man named Abbot immediately stood straighter and marched to the corner of the hallway. Not that you could see it, because he was also inside the invisibility cloak. It was his first on-the-job field raid, and he was not going to funk it up.

"Four-layer authentication shields. Damn, this kid is good." said Bran. But not good enough. The kid was using wand authentication time-keys. It meant that whoever was the wand-holder could only enter on specified time. So when he needed a person to only have access between six to seven pm, the portal door would only open to him during those times. Other than those specified times, the wand is as good as useless. Right now, he had Alice's wand. But it was apparently only halfway through. But there will be holes in every security. "Let's just hope he has not discovered this one yet..."

"Now Kingsley!" said Robert. Three Aurors went around him. They raised their wand to the side to act as if circling them. Then they started their chant.

Instead of trying to infiltrate the opened portals, they chose one which opened a week ago. Now they just have to trick the place into believing it's temporal time was that of last week. They will trick the portal to a different time-frame. Make it see that it was ten o'clock on a Saturday morning. That was when the last meeting was held. It meant the portal door would open because it was a legitimate time.

They needed to implement a tricky bit of Magic for the door to think it was still five o'clock and allowed to accept guests. The time-trick needed to be constrained inside the space on the door only, which meant that a team of Aurors were commissioned to perform a powerful shield charm to separate the door from the rest.

They started casting a small shield circle around the door perimeter with only Bran inside.

But the three Aurors around him finally finished. his own set of spells to unmake the door. Cold and sweaty hands fumbled through the ward keys. And the dragon-scale tunic he was wearing to ward off preliminary attacks in case of ambush did not help his fingers from shaking.

He poised his wand for the final spell.

"Homium Revello!"

There was a blinding flash of white light.


	19. Scarlet Robes in Hogwarts part 2

I hope everyone had a great New Year!

**VlightPhase:** The fic needed a closing conflict. Sadly, I had no choice.

.oOo.

It was Peggy Price. Only Peggy Price. Small fry. Laurence shoved the rest of the phial down her mouth.

Peggy jerked away. "That's illegal." She retorted as if she had a choice.

He shrugged. "Yes. Just like your polyjuice. Why were you trying to open the portal?"

"I was told to open it," said Peggy.

"Do you remember anything inside that building?"

Peggy made a pause and screwed up her face in concentration. "No," she finally said.

"Who are you working for?" said Laurence sharply.

"Alice."

"Who else?"

"Only Alice."

"Why were you dressed as an MLE Agent?"

"Because Alice wanted to scare you. Make you think the MLE was behind the attack."

"Did you know how dangerous this thing Alice is making you do?"

"Alice gave me the transparent figures on risk assessment."

"She should. She has no resources to back her up. Just a promising know-it-all from the proletariat class. Above-average IQ maybe, even gifted. But totally with no resources as big as mine. Obviously, she has no connections to the MLE. So all she can do is play pretend."

Peggy pursed her lips.

"I suppose Alice made you wear that necklace."

"Oh, this necklace? It was so kind of her. It was her jewelry but she let me wear it for the night..."

Laurence grabbed it and blasted it to the floor with his wand.

"And now it's smoking smithereens. That thing is a mirror communicator you idiot," said Laurence.

"Alice is not going to be pleased," commented Peggy, totally dazed from the Veritaserrum potion.

.oOo.

Up above the Northwing tower, Alice was facing an empty wall. She sat on the floor. No point expending unnecessary energy on standing.

Laurence took the bait. It meant more time for the Aurors. She was sure Laurence would cast the polyjuice-revealing charm, and everything would just point to her. The Auror stunt would just throw him off scent. But time is expensive, so things may still crash land.

In every operation, the bigger contingency plan you can cover, the better. The Aurors knew this. This raid was not exactly virgin territory. But she heard the necklace blasted dead from the communicator in her headband. That was when she started to move. She drew out three vials from her robe….

.oOo.

"Homium Revello!" There was a flash of white light. There was a feeling that something clicked, as if completing a puzzle, then the wooden back of the cupboard's back to reveal the raging green fire.

Kingsley peered over the gaps of the fire, trying to make out what was behind it.

"Dawson! Come over here and do the security spells. This place might be booby trapped," said Kingsley. "Abbot, guard the perimeter of the entrance while we go in."

"Yessir," said Dawson, who was the same year as Abbot. Lumos was his first spell. It was pitch dark inside.

When the security spells were done, everyone filed in in a line. They each lit up their wands to get some bearings on their dark surroundings.

It was a room no different than a warehouse; There were no windows. The only light that went inside was coming from their wands, whereupon they saw the walls full of unpainted bricks. There was a futile attempt of stacking the wallpapers on the floor but taking into account the one-inch dust that was accumulated on its walls and on the floor, the task was not going to be done very soon.

"Harry! How are you holding up?" said Kingsley, holding his mirror piece closer to his mouth. All of a sudden, he heard footsteps of additional people going inside of the building. He instinctively pointed his wand on the direction of the door.

"We're entering the door as well," said Harry.

"Yes, I can hear you" asked Kingsley, lowering his wand.

In front of him, Harry was also lowering his.

.oOo.

The footsteps sounded behind Alice's back. She didn't even hear it echo across the staircase.

"You're here," she said plainly, looking directly at Laurence Fetcher. Violet appeared running on his right not long after.

He pointed a wand directly at her. "You know the rules. No information outside the research facility. What are you doing?"

Alice didn't reply. She did not need to. Two men grabbed both her hands and forced her to drink something.

"The whole vial," He gave her Veritaserrum. She looked on the Laurence' looming wand pointed at her throat and sighed. Then drank the whole vial.

Laurence stole a glance at his magical doors. She managed to mess up this portal. There were a few spots were the portal cracked a bit in a swirl and diverted back to its original location, reflecting the end of the wall instead of connecting it to one of the doors of the Lucedo Labs. Patches here and there had reverted back to its original location (which was the red brick on the wall),

"State your name."

"Alice Forster."

"Did you find a way to bypass my information security?"

"None. I still don't know what is inside the facility. I'm trying to open the portal now in order to find out."

"Why did you do this?"

"I just got a little greedy."

"You'll have your own slice of the profit. There's enough for everyone," said Laurence.

"Being an employee of your estimable enterprise is hardly profit. Yet you hired me for my expertise. It's very obvious that you get more than your money's worth. You know I'm better than you," said Alice stiffly.

"Then why not negotiate for higher terms?" Laurence asked.

Alice shrugged. "Why not steal all the research and take all the profits?"

"I thought you were smarter than that. Just as I thought. You are too young and full of yourself."

"If that was the case, I would still be signing one of your contracts."

"Humour me. Let's try this again diplomatically. Do you have any information about my recent attackers? Who are you working for? The MLE, the FBI or the MI6?" asked Laurence darkly . His tall figure blocked the staircases. Which was the only exit if you were an idiot.

"There were no attackers. It was all my doing," she looked at him straight.

"You are the only one who attacked tonight?"

"Yes," said Alice, sounding exasperated. " I instructed Peggy to act as a decoy."

"And the attacks on the other three portals?"

"All was staged by me. I did not expect you would detect them this soon. One of those were supposed to penetrate your labs if the others failed."

"You're not lying." said Laurence.

"Yes, I am not. Obviously, since I drunk Veritaserrum," said Alice.

After a long silence, he spoke, anger etched in his tone. "Alice Forster. I hereby terminate our contract. Your services are no longer needed," said Laurence Fetcher. He took out a paper from thin air, and make it burst into flames in his hand.

Violet saw Alice be obliviated for the last time.

.oOo.

"Laurence, where are you going?" Violet followed him when he strode past his entourage. He went inside a door. She hesitated for a moment then went after him.

He was facing a screen with his back on her, and for a moment, she thought he did not hear her enter. He also seem to not have acknowledged his presence.

"Laurence," said Violet slowly. "Are you alright?"

"I thought I made a mistake, bringing you here… it was not yet time…. But it turned out fine after all." Laurence said, still looking at the screens and tweaking with some of the controls.

"What are you doing?" she finally said when

"The intruders. I'm going to catch them."

"Intruders? What Intruders?" asked Violet, keeping his voice usual. "What do you mean? We already caught the Alice."

"No. I've decided to cut down all the portal connection."

"Planning to close all portals?" she was furious. "But what about the ongoing research. We both know it had to be powered. It would collapse. What about everything you've worked for?"

"It doesn't matter. I've got my compensation anyway," said Laurence.

"Compensation?"

"Even if they pried open the mechanism of the doors, I was able to redirect all portal paths to a warehouse. I only need a person down there to cast the lockdown spell."

"And what happens to that person? They will probably hold him hostage in exchange for some favourable bargain."

"I know Alice. She is not a person who can still stomach the dirty work. That is why she will never be impressive enough. I will not let them escape. I'm going to catch whoever son of a mudblood is trying to get to my work."

The screen stopped projecting a lot of video feeds from different parts of the castle. He pressed something and a single live feed was seen on the screen. Violet knew all too well those scarlet robes that swept all across the room.

.oOo.

"Uhm boss?" said a rookie who was standing guard outside the break-in operation.

"What is it Abbot," said Kingsley rather tiredly.

"It's Ms. Price's line sir. I think the entourage finally reached her."

Kingsley switched his own mirror to listen.

He could hear across the line. A few more minutes than that and there was a blasting sound and the line went dead.

"Make your search faster! I want the whole Merville project book back at the base, along with all the incriminating evidence."

Everyone moved swiftly through the floorboards, their wands held high. The air was tense and uncertain.

Suddenly they heard a very faint humming sound.

"What was that sound?"

"I think I've heard it somewhere," Abbot walked closer to its source. "It's coming from the door, sir!"

"Abbot get out of there!" Kingsley said sharply. He remembered. It was the sound of a mufilliato charm from the outside! But it was too late.

Then it all happened quickly. Through the squinted light, they saw a man lounging for Abbot, dropping his invisibility cloak in the process. He grabbed Abbot from behind and pointed a wand at his throat.

"Nobody move! Or I say the spell for lockdown!" he shouted.

But he never finished his incantation spell. They barely got a syllable out when his wand fell to the ground with a clutter. An invincible hand appeared out of thin air that made a clean grip on his shoulder. It was a clean quiet job. He fell down to the floor unconscious.

Tonks took off her own invisibility cloak and revealed the rest of her body. They fell to the ground next to her victim's wands. Violet pointed her wand at the sleeping figure on the floor, then kicked the wand near his hand for it to be out of their reach.

She prodded the body with her feet, and when she was finally convinced it was not going to burst into a bomb, she yelled, "Obliviate!"

One Auror made a point to grab the fallen body of their attacker. Intending to capture them back to headquarters. "No. Leave them!" hissed Violet. She was speaking very fast now.

"Get out of here! It's a trap! we'll be trapped here like rats! We have about half a minute before the door runs out of juice!"

With one last regretful glance, Kingsley issued his command, "Retreat!" Everyone was at the door now, but time did not seem to slow enough.

"Out the door! Quickly!" said Tonks.

"Faster!" shouting Kingsley, herding his men out of the door.

Bran looked sadly at the row of people quieing for the exit. They were never going to make it. Just as he was about to exit the door, the time-caster stopped on his tracks, then backtracked.

"Bran, what are you doing?!" roared Kingsley's voice.

The man grabbed his time-stop spell-casting senior from the chaos of the fast-moving line by the collar and asked him roughly. "How much for a time-spell? Can we stop time to buy more time?"

"It's too dangerous!" said his senior.

"How long?!" he asked again.

"We can pick up on the old spell. If we're fast and lucky, it can be done in ten seconds."

"Worst case?"

"Twenty seconds. If we make a mistake, forty."

"We take our chance," he said loudly. The other man nodded.

"Time casters! Position in the entrance and stop the time as long as you can."

"Alright, where are the other time-casters?" his senior asked him.

Bran craned his neck. "I can't see them. They've must have already gone through the door."

Tonks looked at the door. Aurors were still getting out of it before the time ran out. Just then, the floo fire went three shades darker. Fuel was nearing its ebb. Tonks felt like she was being hit in the stomach.

The time-casters stood themselves in position, then began chanting. Five more people got out of the door when the spell kicked start. People going through felt the familiar disorientation of the time-stop.

"Tonks, get out! The time-casters are the last. It's safer that way," said Kingsley almost angrily.

Tonks looked at the time-caster. He was staggering on his feet, but apparently trying to keep on for the sake of those people still passing. "No, they're too weak. We need to herd them out," she protested.

"There's only enough time after he puts his wand down!" said Kingsley.

"Then we jump together," said Tonks.

Kingsley did not bother replying. He managed to give her a half-frown half smile, then he was already through the door.

"On Three!" said Tonks both her hands grabbing each time-caster for a hurl.

"One, two, three!" with the last of their energies, Tonks found she was hurling herself forward again through the same dying flames.


	20. The Controversial Arrest

Tonks felt the familiar sense of pull on her insides. And though it was a weaker pull, almost dying she had to push herself through, there was no denying it. The last Auror had squeezed through.

Kingsley called for an emergency meeting before they could even catch their breaths.

"I told you he's slippery. His security systems enough were hard to undermine. But I had worked so hard for this. Now it's all come to nothing." said Tonks.

"My patience is wearing thin. Just arrest everyone involved. Swing out a few confessions from his mouth," said Kingsley.

Tonks groaned. "Kingsley, you know we can't do that. Our informant says this is connected to a muggle organization out in the open. They'll just relocate the facilities and it will still be under our noses. Even if we have any witnesses, (which we have, by the way), he'll just tighten security and hide behind his non-legal age. We can't even count on the Ministry laws on our side. "

"Legal Ministry force is useless. Asking our agent to burn it to the ground while she's inside is an option though," suggested Harry.

"The Department of Mysteries will have our necks. It is an expensive bit of research," said Kingsley.

"I've had enough of those people. They just have the insignia but they're no better than Laurence."

"We need to work on a counter-spell to nullify the power if this is created. And if we don't keep up with the latest spells, neighboring countries might use this against us and then we'll be helpless," Bran sighed. "Can we try to steal it back again before you decide to burn it?"

"It'll be a bloody miracle if we could come up with another idea," said Tonks.

"You," Kingsley pointed a finger at Tonks as if everything was her fault. "Get back to the castle and turn him into a ferret."

Harry looked at the ceiling. Trying to find a disappearing and appearing place seem to already take a toll on the team. Especially if their said raid had just fell before their eyes. They had yet to be taught patience.

.oOo.

"I've been kicked out," was the first thing Alice said when she entered their room for the second time. She shoved her gloves to the side. "Terminated our contract. He just looked at me and told me my services were no longer needed. We're on our own from now."

"I'm sure we can probably find entrances on our own," said Violet, pulling out her hair from the twist they created for the ball. "But as of now, it's better that you posed as a very good cover. Does he suspect that you are working for us?"

Alice shook her head. "No, he doesn't. He just thinks I got a little greedy and wanted the profits all to myself."

"Quick thinking on the obliviation part before Laurence went up the Tower so he won't connect you with the MLE."

The MLE's involvement was not betrayed. Alice already anticipated the confrontation in the Northwing tower. Prior to the operation, she obliviated herself and hid the memories somewhere secure. Which meant that the MLE could still relatively move freely without suspicion from their organization.

.oOo.

"Laurence was scary earlier," said Peggy, snuggly in her bed, holding the blanket to her face, and staring blankly at the ceiling.

"It was to be expected," said Alice.

"Things I do for money," muttered Peggy, half-asleep.

Seeing that Alice made no reply, she addressed her again. "Aren't you going to bed, Alice?"

"Yes," said Alice. "You can turn off the lights now."

Peggy did so, then flopped into the bed, feeling more peaceful and homey now that the lights were off…

"Alice, why are you flashing the flashlight all around the room? Are you looking for bugs?" said Peggy sleepily.

"No, no, quite the opposite."

Peggy stared incredulously. What is the opposite of-?"

"Shh,"

The last thing Peggy remembered was Alice's flashlight stopping at a picture, then the picture made a slight whizz sound as it flew to her hands. Probably a silent accio spell.

Alice took a picture of it. Such an add behaviour. Why would anyone want to take a picture of a picture? It's not like she could get anything from those pictures anyway.

But those thoughts were immediately replaces by things far more important. She was already looking at a flying hypoputamus, insisting that she should go ride it because it was not fictional unlike those flying hypogriffs they just see in their dreams. She saw a flying hypoputamus once, when she was still in the muggle world. So it was real, and the world where she lived now was the fictional one. But it was so good a world. A castle with hidden passages, and its eerie victorian walls with a lake and a forest, all not real, but no matter.. she's sleeping there tonight, and it's so cold and confy to sleep in such a castle…

.oOo.

"Huh? A second message?" usually, only one picture flashes a faint glow of blue when flashed with her flashlight. She will then take a picture of the thing and screen the picture for a hidden words by changing the highlights of the picture.

Then those highlights could be further cleared and processed to reveal gibberish words she can finally feed in her decoder. Last night's message was: Retrieve m.v. in Honeybee.

Now M. V. could mean many things.

Music Video

MV move command,

But as it is, this was the last attempt to mask the meaning of the message. M. V. simply meant the Memory Vial where she had to get from Honeybee. Which was probably a codename.

Twenty minutes later, she retrieved the memory and was briefed up to date how she had been working for the MLE. How she planted a false memory on her head that she was trying to hijack the mass operations at the ball all alone without any authority backing.

But she was quite surprised to see another picture flashing stark blue before her. Usually, she receives only one coded message from herself: MV in Elliot ASAP.

She reluctantly took the blanket off herself. You may have found yourself in a similar situation. A situation in which you were ordered by your past self to do a task while you were already in bed and wanted to activate the sleep chemicals and acquire your hard-earned rest. It was not good to be ordered around by anyone while you were in the verge of sleeping.

So carrying a tea mug while she walked the hallways with a dissatisfied frown, she opened the loose floorboard in the library: the location that the message indicated.

"Are you looking for this?" said a voice behind her. She did not need to turn around to know who that voice belonged to.

"What are you doing here?" said Alice.

"Your drop off point? Who is your correspondent? Why does it have to be a black operation?"

"None of your business. We already cut off our contracts," said Alice.

"It is, if you've been leaking information to a third party," said Laurence. "MLE Alice. You have a lot to answer for."

Alice covered a yawn with her hands. "I'm getting tired of this. Alright. I am working for the MLE."

"You are seriously pissing me off."

"Expensive," said Alice. By which she meant, it's very resource-expensive to take care of me. You might as well take up another endeavor. She must have also meant: my net worth is too great. I have my hands on the research. Secrets die with me unless I teach them to you first.

Laurence laughed out loud. "Nobody is indispensable. I could have you replaced in two months."

"Go ahead." Alice stiffled another yawn. "Look, It's getting late. Let's stop this tomfoolery. I know you know I am working for the MLE. But you can still turn things around to your favour. I'll give you a sweet deal. Information inside the MLE for certain compensations*."

Laurence looked at her hard. Alice stared back. "I see," he finally said. "You want the money. Alice is far above to be bothered about the moral high ground. Better warn those MLE Friends of yours."

What Laurence needed was to create a distraction, a chaos. Direct the attention elsewhere from him. Big enough to let them forget about this little issue of his. Keep the low players occupied and noisy, so the real players could get on with it...

.oOo.

Remus Lupin drank his wolfsbane potion that night and started waiving his wand to cast the spell inside his room. Nowadays, it was not necessary to keep wards double-barred, because of wofsbane potion. Or the fact that potion masters found a way to brew it that costed less. All his transformations had been danger-less, he could now only vaguely remember the time when it was needed to cast the strong spells.

He cast the imperturbable charm, just in case. Because he did not want Moody haunting him for Constant Vigilance in his dreams. Imperturbable was casted to prevent the outside room from hearing the noises inside. Unfortunately, it also meant he could not hear what was going on the outside. And of all the "just in case of bad batch of Wolfsbane" spells, he remembered this one, and he thanks his stars once more, for it was important. He ought not have. Because if he forgot that one spell only, all would have been alright. What he did not know was that it was also his undoing.

.oOo.

"Shame, Alice. I thought you were smart enough. The best thing the government can offer you is a medal and some criticism. If you were with me, you could be great. You could have gotten funding."

"No thank you, but I would like my research named after me, I don't wish to share to credit to anyone," replied Alice.

A howl. Long, and solid enough to be heard echoed to the halls. Alice shifted her gaze to the direction of the sound.

"What are you trying to do Laurence?" asked Alice.

.oOo.

Full moon tonight and an inhumane howl could be heard all over Hogwarts. In the comforts of their beds, students took poor shelter on the drab of their blankets. They too could hear it.

It was the unmistakable sound of a werewolf howl. Not once, not twice, but all throughout the night. Lights began to turn on. The blankets were suddenly not enough to keep them warm. And the draft creeped inside the castle walls. Prefects stood in line their wands shielding their chest as an attack and defense position against their threatening enemy.

At long last, McGonaggal could be seen marching in the hallways with her night robes bellowing behind her still as imposing. "Secure the perimeter."

Professors came out of their quarters to check and double-check the student count, and to reassure if they were still breathing. And on and on it howled, tempting the school to a challenge.

Their eyes were droopy from exhaustion, but they were not asleep. Metals clanged to their places as walls and barricades were double-sealed.

Each child clutched their bears in one hand, while the older ones clutched sharp pointed weapons. The shadows of their professors dancing from the dimly lit candles were a comfort to the students but they did not linger long in one spot for the students to have a view of them although out. Not just one mind longed and wished for the familiar face of Professor Lupin ordering them to straighten their backs square, to position for defense. Or smile and say they were going to make it.

And on and on it howled, on and on. Where the werewolf was, nobody knew. Nor do they want to go there either. And not just one mind wondered and doubted whether it was the professor who was the source of their terror.

.oOo.

"Theodore Remus Lupin! Theodore Remus Lupin!"

Teddy rubbed his eyes and found himself facing face to face with the figure of Severus Snape who's dark robes made him look as if he just came back from the dead.

"Tell me Mr. Theodore Lupin, how do you go about making a wolfsbane potion?"

"I dunno, sir, I think it has an OWL level difficulty, It's only natural I am not quite familiar with the flow."

The bell rang and Teddy took it as a cue to grab his bag and make his escape, making sure he did not leave his lorcas charmed creature in the potions room. Snape might still have been calling after him but he ran out. It didn't matter right now what Snape thinks. He'll deal with him later. Right now he had something very very important to do.

Truth was, he had rather been up all night trying to make it work. He went to sit on his class just the other day. He saw his father teaching his fifth year class the process but the class still seem to have a difficult time charming their lorcas. Teddy thought it was difficult at first, but when he looked closely, he saw that it was just simple really... If the previous spells just got properly connected with the previous ones the right ones, then if he put the right amount of resistance on some, then it was going to come out right.

Which meant it took him three days to get it right. Trying to wave his wand on every spare time he could get.

He'd surprise father. Tell him he could do advanced spellwork.

"Teddy, what are you doing?" asked one of Teddy's classmates.

"I'm charming these Lorcas marplots. I'm going to show dad I can do advanced charms, he'd finally have to take me to Hogsmeade on a school night," said Teddy, walking very fast, his feet almost jumping up and down.

"Why?"

"Cause it's cool! And you only need a guardian to go out anyway! Sale at the joke shop begin on Friday night, you know. I'll be totally ahead of you lot." His last sentence, he had to say while walking backwards, his face towards his classmates he was quickly leaving behind with his fast-paced half-run.

He was heading to his father's office when he saw a throng of people crowding over the freedom board on the way. He tapped his wand to charm the lorcas inside a protective bubble and held it grip-tight in his hands, since it was a tad too big for his pockets. He went forward to fare his way to the crowd.

After much shoving and pushing, he finally reached the front to see a scribble of parchment presented to his face. An anonymous student had confessed on the freedom board. The crowd had bitten and taken this news as gospel truth.

I'm a werewolf. I am scared to tell my friends because they might be disgusted by it. I wish that life was not so hard. I just feel painful and sickly all the time, I want to put a wand in my head. I don't care anymore.

~werewolfcub

The kid, whatever it was that was in his mind, apparently thought that it would not cause so much stir because it was just a public anonymous post. Everyone posted parchments on the freedom board, to complain, to rant, or to share that they watered a cactus last Tuesday. To this he might be disappointed, or secretly pleased at first at the wave of being noticed, or whatever things that goes on his head that we are told not to judge, though everyone is secretly rejoicing that they were better and more mature than that messed up kid.

But the kid most certainly would not be very pleased now.

Because apparently, the pandemonium had reached new heights. The faculties have searched high and low to find the Child, and he won't be very much okay if everyone knew. And others are politicizing taking advantage of it. The bottom-line is-

Professor Lupin

Anyone who hates Professor Lupin will now come forward and stab him on his front.

Snap! The camera flashed to capture the statement of the student. "He was a good teacher. He was the best! A petition is already going round the student body to make him stay."

The Daily prophet had sent scouts to get to the bottom of the matter, then twist it to make it sell. Cut ot speech here and there, and the words would become gems. The buzz of the current issue had escalated. Reporters ran to and fro trying to get a scoop. Students found themselves trapped in the corridors for an interview.

#defendDADA

They want to dissolve DADA because it was harmful for the kids. Fighting should only be left for the Aurors.

Teddy read on and on the notice board. Finally reading everything twice, he went to disintangle himself from the crowd, unaware that he pushed someone along the way. He ended up butt landing on the floor.

A band of Slytherins saw that as an opportunity to superimpose their alpha status, because they weren't. Which means their only option was to project it to people lower than them. Hence the first year brunting.

"Hey! I know that face," said one Slytherin when they saw Teddy on the floor. Teddy stared up to give his persecutors his attention. "You're the Lupin kid."

Teddy got up and brushed off the dust on his knees. He quietely edged away from them intending to walk on the other side of the wide corridor. Though he could guess it was really not a question of avoidance anymore. Because he found himself bumping on them for the second time.

"Noooo!" Under the pandemonium he did not quite notice the bubble glass slip from his grasp. He tried to make a save by diving to the floor.

The bubble glass fell and broke anyway after missing his hand. The Lorcas inside dissolved in green mist of fury liquid spilt over the floor along with the shards of broken glass. He pursed his lips and looked at his persecutors with fresh fire.

"Watch where you're going, you son of a werewolf," said the slytherin boy. "You have to apologise to me."

Here we go.

The boy grabbed Teddy by the collar and hoisted him up in air. "Apologize or I'll hit you."

Teddy found his foot a feet above the ground. "You can't. It's against the rules," said Teddy.

"What are you going to do about it? Set your werewolf father to bite me?"

Teddy would have been glad to shove all his pent up frustrations on the guy, but right now, he still had a blaring task he needed to do. Must see father. "Oh, I don't need to do that," said Teddy. "I can bite you here. Now." He tried to muster all his confidence in that one threat.

The bully started and was forced to throw him out of reflex, wringing his hands as if intending to put it into a hoard of distillation devices. He was able to cast a haphazard cushion charm on the wall before he smacked into it.

Time to run. He wasted no time looking back to the corridor. Amidst the boy calling him coward, and the bunch of boxes ruined all over the corridor, Teddy Lupin made a run for it, with only one thought in his head: father.

"Daddy! Daddy!" Teddy banged the door of his father's office. Having no one answer him, and too impatient to wait for any reply, he went his way to dissentabgle the series of locking spells. "Apertus Ostium, Imperium Laxo!"

He pressed his ear to the door. Finally, he heard the familiar pinged click and it swung open to reveal an empty room. There was no fire, and twilight was already descending on the windows.

"Dad? Dad!" Teddy bellowed. His father's office was empty. They've taken him. He's already been dragged off to Azkaban, with cuffs and his head held low. He found himself staring at the looming darkness of the large window, overlooking the vast Hogwarts grounds. The quiditch pitch was still full of zooming brooms in and out, tossing themselves high up in the air and going back down, undeterred by the approach of nightfall. To the left, the frozen lake's glint faded as the sun sunk lower under the horizon. And beyond that, the dark forest, coated with a blanket of thin sheet snow. It looked really forlorn and cold.

He stood there for a while, blinking his eyes in emptiness.

"Teddy, what is the matter?" Remus put a hand on his shoulder behind him.

"Dad!" Teddy turned around, his face lit up with relief. He clung to his robes, afraid that he would disappear if he did not hold him tight enough. He looked up to him.

Remus frowned. "It's already late. Have you finished your homework before coming here?"

"But dad!"

"Did you brush your teeth after dinner like I told you?"

"I know that, dad, I am not a baby," he said irritably. "And I hadn't had dinner yet so it doesn't count today, but never mind that!" said Teddy, ignoring his father's stern face. "They're talking of taking you away! I don't want them to take you anywhere. And they're telling me I'm the secret werewolf who faked his papers."

Remus looked at him with his probing eyes. His eyebrows knitting ever so slightly. "Come sit. And eat this biscuit. It's too late a night for a boy to be wandering around without dinner." He led the boy to the seat beside the fireplace and gave him a whole can of biscuits, then turned his back to light the fire.

"Eat," his father turned his head for a moment, then got back to fixing the fire. Teddy realized he had been holding the biscuit in his fingers for a long time.

"You were there in the grand hall with everyone else, when the werewolf howled, were you not?"

"Yes, but Stevens says that they don't care about that. They just want to do something important. They'll take me away on chains."

"Nobody is going to drag you away, Teddy."

"You'll protect me. But who'll protect you?"

Footsteps sounded across the floor and a man in dignified robes with a stiff tie went inside Remus' office. Following behind him was a face Teddy already recognized.

"Teddy, get behind me," Remus said sharply, placing his hand as a barrier to Teddy from the newcomer. There was an edge of urgency in his voice and his father seemed to have shoved him more forcefully. He suspected his father already knew what was going on and was already more worried than he was letting on.

"There he is, dad! He is the one who threatened me with a werewolf bite!" Steven pointed an accusing finger at him.

Teddy's father looked at the child beside the man, then he looked up to the man's face.

"Dalios," he said.

"Remus John Lupin," Dalios said back.

His intense bitter stare, Remus met with sadness and- Teddy could not understand it- triumph. Dalios was ready to strike, but his father's stand told him, he was already far above the man in some way.

"Charming son you got there. Violence clearly shows in the blood," he shook his head. "Why do you only have one son Lupin? Have you eaten all the others? Or is this kid the only werewolf among your offspring?"

Teddy glared at the man behind Remus' arm. His father sighed, resigned and tired of the whole affair. "No Dalios. I see it's of no use to persuade you otherwise."

"As you. Your son has just threatened my child to a werewolf bite. Make no doubt about it. The ministry will not tolerate it. The School Board will also hear about this."

Remus' jaw tightened. "My son is not a werewolf. He has no intentions of harming anyone. It may be the case that he was provoked."

"Whatever happens, I will not risk my child fraternizing with a known criminal not brought to justice. You watch yourself Remus. I will never let this incident pass."

"You never did let any incident pass, Dalios."

Their two visitors walked away. As soon as they were gone out of earshot, Teddy's questions all started bubbling up.

"Who was that? Why did you know each other? How come he thinks you're a criminal? Is he one of those people who will lock me up?"

"What have you done this time?" Remus' stern voice rand through Teddy's ears. But Teddy's face was undeterred, furrowed and unrepentant.

"Did you threaten Mr. Hawthorne to being bitten by a werewolf? This is not a light thing to joke about," said his father.

"He started it!" said Teddy indignantly.

"Stop," Remus put his hand up. "I have heard that excuse excessively used already. I will hear no more of it. Do you have any idea how perfectly bad your timing was in threatening people?"

"Fine!" said Teddy.

When Remus heard his uncooperative reply, he stared silent for a few seconds. Then he ran a hand through his face and sat back down on his armchair, exhausted by his latest stunt.

Upon seeing his father affected so, he forgot his anger and flopped at the nearby chair also.

It may have been just one of his cheap tricks, nevertheless, Remus gave in and softened. "It's alright Teddy. Tell me what happened?"

"He bumped into me, then told me to watch where I'm going, and called me 'son of a werewolf'." Lupin's face paled. If Teddy knew what pain it was caused his father to retell the story, he might have just accepted the punishment and spared him. But he was quite selfish yet and wanted to tell his father how wrong they were so he continued on. "Oh don't worry, dad, sometimes it varies, they call some people 'son of a mudblood' when the teachers are not looking. In the social construct of the school, a son of a mudblood is higher than the son of a werewolf though. But that's not the point. The point was, I refused to apologize, so he grabbed me by the collar and said he'd hit me if I don't. I said it was against the rules, but he said what would I do about it, ask my werewolf father to bite him? I would have punched him, but I hadn't got time, I was too worried you were not in your office, and so I told him, 'I don't need my father to bite you. I could bite you here right now'. So as expected, he freaked out and let go of me and I ran here."

His dad stayed in his seat, so he tried again. He went forward and kneeled, putting his arms on his lap. "Look dad, I know you would say I should have just apologized and walked away to avoid a fight, and be a better mature person. But I can't. I want to punch him and say he's wrong. And I'm sorry, but I'm not sorry at all!"

"I'm sorry too, son. This never would have happened to you."

These are one of those days when Teddy had yet to learn his father's mood swings. Mom would pull him aside sometimes, and tell him to not be a bother because father was out of sorts but sometimes he forgets and be a bothersome kid anyway.

"There! Now I'm sorry I said it. I'm sorry I didn't apologize to avoid the fight. If I did that, maybe you wouldn't think of going away again. Please dad, if I- If I promise to be a good kid, you won't go away will you?" he gripped his father's trousers hard. "I don't want you to leave again."

"The child would have been better off without a father of whom he will always be ashamed of." the words echoed above Remus' head.

Teddy's face before him copied the same familiar one that haunted his dreams. Back when this face begged him, he casted it aside as impulsive passion. But now it was a different face looked into his eyes. Teddy needed him. And as much as he denied it, Nymphadora needed him too.

"Nobody is going to leave."

.oOo.

Professor Lupin tapped the table once. It was enough to put the students to attention.

"Today, we will begin our lecture on duel combat stances. There are a lot of important points in the body that you must target: these are, the liver, the head, the airways. Our main aim, of course, is not to kill. Only to incapacitate.

"There are five major wand combat positions. You can hold out your wand with one hand to your front-centre. This provides you with ample opportunity for defence. Do you know why? Anderson."

"Uhm, It shields your chest area...?" said Anderson

"Good point. But as you also notice, so you could easily change the direction of your wand to meet any offensive attack from the enemy. Weather he attacks up, down, or to your sides. This is a very flexible stance. You will use this stance at the begining of a duel, when you are still studying the extent of the techniques your enemy can do. Do you understand? In defence against dark arts, observance and information will save your life."

Everyone turned sober at his words and gripped their wands tighter.

"Horizontal slice on the other hand, provides you with a wide range attack. This move is hard to dodge. You can also raise your hand above your head for the head strike. If you want to target the head of your enemy-"

The door was suddenly forcibly thrown open. A thin Auror with her scarlet robes and insignia of authority strode forward.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Dalios," Lupin said politely, going towards the door. "I'm sure you came here for something important. But our class is doing something as of the moment."

"No. This is a matter of life and death. You know perfectly well there was a werewolf on the loose last night. Someone enrolled inside Hogwarts that faked his papers and never declared he was lycanthropic."

"We are trying to resolve this issue internally. The school is doing its best," said Lupin.

"Have you found out who the student is?" he asked acidly.

"Not yet."

"You don't quite understand the gravity of the situation. It's better that we arrest you now than for the whole school to shut down."

Violet stood up from her seat. "Arrest an innocent man just to cover up inadequacy? Is the board committee insane?" Dalios did not recognize her. Confidential information was only revealed to the team members of the case, at the pain of breach of contract.

"Was anyone present when they cast his wards last night?" asked Dalios accusingly.

"No," admitted Tonks.

"Was anyone with him inside to see if he escaped?"

"No," said Tonks again.

"Then be quite! This man has no alibi. He will be crushed in the courts immediately. I will not have a death on my ledger. There is already a bio of a student who died because of this," said the Auror.

"Please don't scare the students. I will go quietly if I must," said Lupin.

"No," said Violet again. "Death is here, weather you arrest him or not. This is clearly just for show to give the parents a false sense of security. Let the students pack their bags for safety. Never mind the school."

"We cannot close down the school."

"There you have it! You're saying it yourself. It just shows that money is more important for the committee board than the safety of its students. And you claim to think about their welfare?" her voice was rising.

"Their education is very important."

Violet rolled her eyes. "Of course. And the money that comes with it."

Dalios sighed and spared the girl a moment before turning to his team. "You will have to stop being an idealistic and just try to accept the murky world of politics. And that's that. There's nothing more to it. Arrest him," said the Auror irritably.

Violet walked forward. Pranced in the attack stance. The attack stance that they were practicing just a while ago.

"Don't be ridiculous girl. You can't attack all of us with the snake-fork move. You are not even barely legal."

"Lay one finger on him, and you will be getting more than just the snake-fork. How many times you have actually tried to drag off Lupin to the Azkaban, I already lost count. "

"Violet Sharp, sit down," said Lupin.

"No sir."

"Don't get in the way."

"I said NO sir." She's been saying a lot of no's lately.

One by one, students started to get up to shield Remus. "Everyone! Form a human-barricade."

"Sit down all of you. You're barely legal to decide on these issues!" It was Violet who spoke this time.

"That is enough!" McGonagall strode forward the fray. "Violet Sharp, you will stay your wand. There will be no need to always fight. Remus Lupin will not be brought to Azkaban. Not even if it's just for a three day visit, for which I am sure, the authorities will have no hard time planning for an accidental kiss. So make no doubt about it, there will be no hauling."

"We have a warrant," insisted Dalios.

"The ministry already sent a parole. He will stay here." McGonaggal's lips curved into a smile. She dangled her own parchment.

"McGonaggal," said Dalios, his wand poised threateningly, "I will be forced to use force to anyone found obstructing justice. My papers have more weight than yours in the legal proceding."

"So you say," said Violet, also poising for an attack. "Use force and we will use self-defence. Professor Lupin might not be up for saving himself, but other people do."

Dalios also poised for an attack stance.

"I advise everyone in the room to go out before this develop into a full-fledged duel. I will not use all of you as human shields," said Violet.

The students felt like they'd much rather prefer dying than miss out on the drama. Dalios looked as if he wanted to hurl curses at them. But he sufficiently calmed down. "Suit yourselves. But don't come crying to us when students start being fed to rascals like him."

When he was out of the room, McGonaggal immediately addressed the class. "You will return to studying your previously interrupted lessons, and I will not be hearing anymore questions about this until the board of committee has decided."

Just like a radio turned on with a click, the whole class burst into a buzzle of conversations the moment Professor Mcgonaggal was out of the room. Some are excited because it meant that school will probably go lax for a few days to make room for the new hype.

But some people were already discussing leaving first thing tomorrow morning. Some had started sobbing their hearts out in one corner, saying that they still live very far away to be able to escape immediately.

The moment the students inside his class would be let out of the classroom door, news would spread like wildfire. Students began marching in protest, armed with new ideas and cardboard box on their hands.

But probably oblivious to everyone, was Violet talking to Remus over the bellows of the students. Nobody heard her say "I'll take care of this," before she sliped out of the room full of people who were too bothered to notice one less person missing in their numbers.

.oOo.

Captain Auror Nymphadora Tonks Lupin pushed the door open and barged inside the ministry. "What on earth is happening here? Are you out of your sodding minds, or do I need to hire a lawyer? Since when did a junior assistant have the power to override my decisions?"

"Thing is Tonks, you are not here, so you cannot possibly excuse yourself from incapacity," said Dalios.

"Excuse me while I risk my neck on field jobs when I'm clearly allowed to just do paperwork for a fatter paycheck. You had one work as deputy senior assistant, and you just had to do this? Where is Kingsley?"

"I'm sorry Tonks, but what's done is done. Remus has been sentenced to a kiss."

"Hellfire if I let this happen. I did not get the order of the Merlin by sitting around being stupid. We could scrape enough votes to overrule this. A single news about this in public would have this whole personal vendetta thing collapse in heaps. Abbot, get my parchment. We're writing the Lovegoods and making this public. Call up Harry. We are bound to find the law tucked somewhere. We're fighting this off, fair and square." she opened some of the drawers that contained the documents to keep things moving. "I have a suspect on who framed Remus, I will be able to catch him with just a little bit of backing. I need to borrow some of our men."

"No." Tonks stopped from the flat sound of her colleague.

"What do you mean, 'No'?" said Tonks.

"No. There will be no more further investigation on the case," Dalios repeated.

"Stay where you are Abbot," said the Dalios.

"Don't be bloody ridiculous. Nobody obeys to you," said Nymphadora.

"The chain of command is to me," repeated Dalios.

The moment a dozen Aurors filed in from double doors, Tonks knew what was going on. She raised her own wand to shield herself from the possible onslaught. Though she immediately knew it was useless. It was ambush in cold blood.

"Abbot, Brooke, Peake point those wands away. Do you really think you can get away from the ministry" Tonks could swear Brooke and Abbot's hands jerked a bit when she spoke, but still, they held their wand upright: with the left hand supporting the right. Just as Tonks had taught them during ACTION training. (ACTION training was a whole year training inside the Auror force after graduation. What the letters stand for though, everyone had already forgot.)

Dalios walked to her slowly, undeterred by her small figure. "Forgive me Tonks, I did not want it to come to this. You have too much familiarity bias that you'll likely become unreasonable."

"What are you trying to say? What can you possibly threaten me with?"

"No Tonks. We are not just putting you off the case to which you have no more jurisdiction to make any arrest. We have to lock you up. But don't worry. It's only after the execution is over."

"In the eve of the night before I catch the real suspect, you lock me up and put me off the case?! Do you have any more finesse than to play dirty like this?"

"No finesse at all. My friends are getting impatient. They need him out of the way."

"You mean they got greedy. As usual."

"Say what you want. It makes no difference."

"That's illegal detention. You better hope I don't get out of this."

"Dahling, you ought to have known. There's no such thing as legal here. You're a blythe to the white. They simply have to get rid of you for the sake of being clean." his smile was menacing when he held out the parchment with the insignia of the eagle and the lion. "The amusing thing about this insignia, is that the lion and the eagle are in it, though the people who signed were the snakes."

One spell shot out prematurely from one of the trainee Aurors. Tonks flicked it away with such force and resumed her defensive stance: one hand shielding her chest area and the other holding the wand slantingly draped to shield her body.

"Back off before I kick you in the shins," said Tonks. Both she and Dalios knew it was a hollow threat. Too much duel and war archives had already told them the most probable outcome of this.

For a flicker of the moment, the front Aurors cowered before her threats. But Dalios pushed them on. "Do not hesitate to shoot her if you don't want to be suspected of rebellion yourselves."

"Do not worry," said Dalios to her. "This is for your protection. You're too unreasonable as you are now. Of course none of it would have happened if you did not get carried away by your impulsive passion."

"Unreasonable? Impulsive passion?" Tonks eyes narrowed. "Do you hear yourself?"

"Keep talking. The Wizengamot would not even know this issue existed. We keep it all hushed up."

There was a terse moment in which her oppressors stood only frozen in front of her.

"Fire!"

At that stark daylight, a dozen Aurors fired their spells on one figure. Even if Tonks fought beautifully, it did not even take 2 minutes to subdue her. A dozen wands pointed at her head is an ambush nobody could survive. Her body went down to the floor with a thud.

Serenity telling her seatmate, it's just like Violet Sharp to cut class when nobody's looking. She is absolutely preposterous.

Author's warning:

*Being a double-agent is dangerous work. Few only manage to pull it off. Others just simply die with no protection from either side of the fight. Even Snape died from it. Impressionable children that may be reading this be warned.

PS. Special thanks to VlightPhase for her constructive reviews. ^_^


	21. Impulsive Passion

Theodore Remus Lupin was immensely proud of his father. He was up on the pedestal as the best learned man and professor that ever could live. But even this pride could not keep him from inheriting his mother's habit of breaking rules. Or improvising on rules and being resourceful, if Alice would phrase it.

He saw the Aurors returned with force. There were no drumrolls or war-cries but his stomach gave a churn when he saw twenty such Aurors barge inside Hogwarts doors with their posh badges, and robes trailing behind them. He tried to remind himself that this flock of deadly Aurors might have been the same Aurors who offered him peppermint and treats and made him into a sort of pet where he could ride on their shoulders. The observation would have had ended with that, only mum made it a point to add, "these people could kill you in just a flick".

Perhaps it was different when they were there without your mum, and they were there to barge in and arrest someone. And if that someone was your dad.

That moment they pushed the doors open, he thought that was the worst sight he had ever seen. But not until the Aurors at the back part of the death march got inside. To Teddy's horror, they dragged along with them a caged dementor by the tip of their wands.

Behind its hood Teddy felt as if its eyes were directed to him. It knew his deepest secrets even he himself was not aware of. It knew he was in distress.

.."This is ridiculous. Who on their right minds would file such a petition?!" his mum's angry voice drifted upstairs. Where he had been sent to bed to not witness any of the commotion below."

"It is what it is. The child had been petitioned Mr. Lupin cannot have custody over the child." said the man outside the door.

"You may have forgotten, I am his mother!"

"If that is to be the case Mrs. Lupin, either you move out or the child will be given to the custody of appropriate guardians…"

"Appropriate guardians my arse. I will not have my child carted off over some stranger!"

…

"One night! I become stupid for one night, and now some bloody neighbor who feels sorry for the boy files an official complaint!"

"Dora…perhaps we could listen to their side…We could come up with a compromise and you could live away then…I could visit on Sundays…perhaps…"

"I'm not bloody well having this conversation!"

Remus sighed. "Of course dear."

At his soft tone, Tonks' anger ebbed lower. She unclenched her fist and went to sit on his lap. Remus lay his head to his shoulder and began to breathe deeply.

"Are you tired?" said Tonks.

"No. Much as the reality of the situation dawns on me, I have…"

"Have…"

"…gotten quite selfish." She clutched the front of his robes tighter. "I…" he gulped. "do not want."

"Good," said Tonks dismissively. "That's all I wanted to hear."

"Mum? Dad?" Teddy suddenly said from the doorway.

Remus and Tonks started and immediately pulled apart when they saw him.

"Is it true that you are going to give me away?"

Teddy did not understand why mum suddenly burst into tears and ran to hug him tightly. "Oh you poor thing… and you … you don't even understand what's happening. Look at you? You'll be sifted out of life by the time the institution is done with you."

Teddy was so shaken from all that man's shouting from earlier that he hugged his mother fiercely. Trying to clung to salvation when the world around him was chaos. He had to hold on to her mummy for his dear life. If he go lax for a second, he was going to fall…

He did not even realize he was already crying. "It's alright sweetie, mum's not going to let them take you away. Just tell the judge the truth. You don't want to be taken away, that you love your mum and dad. The judge will probably listen."

Teddy opened his wet eyes, to see his father frowning. "Probably not. With Teddy's case, they will not care an inkling about how Teddy feels. As long as he is safe. He will cry himself sick and nobody will help him…Oh merlin…what have I done?"

Teddy? Teddy?

"Teddy? Teddy! Madam Pomfrey! I think he's coming 'round!"

"How could he not when your shouts would have woken a person petrified by a Basilisk?" Madam Pomfrey strode into the room.

Interesting theory. I wonder if they could conduct an experiment on the frequency in which petrified patients recover? She could at least measure out the Banshee's then try to recreate the environment…

"What happened?" Teddy clutched his head from the onslaught on an incoming headache.

"You fell," said Alice.

Teddy looked confused for a few seconds…

Dementors, Aurors….

Then quick as lightning, he pushed the duvet out and made go out of bed.

"No no no no," Madam Pomfrey immediately halted his advances. "You are not to move yet. The after-effects of a dementor attack has not worn off yet."

"No!" said Teddy, sounding like a spoiled child. "They're going to take dad away again."

"Mr. Theodore, calm down! You are not going to make things any better by thrashing around."

"Where's dad? Why hasn't he come for me?"

"Your father had been busy all day discussing security precautions with the Aurors. Somebody had been sent to tell him you collapsed when you encountered the dementor. He will be here shortly," said Madam Pomfrey, still restraining him from getting up.

"No! I have to see him now!"

Finally, seeing that his tantrums did no good to the restraints placed upon him, Teddy slumped back to bed like a rock.

"That's it, keep calm, you'll be alright," instructed Madam Pomfrey.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good, because any more thrashing and I would have been forced to cast a restraining charm on you."

Seeing that force was taking him nowhere, he relented to their entreaties and went to breath with docility. However, just as soon as he was left alone in the room, Teddy found himself running as fast as he can back to their house, ransacking the Wardrobes for some scarlet robes with a sense of urgency. Steal mother's Auror robes for himself. Impersonating an Auror is a serious offense. But that was one advantage of being underage. There will be no criminal charges. Except perhaps, expulsion. He was surprised he was unfaced by that fact, even though he tried to present it in front of his brain over and over.

By the time he was running in the corridors again, the young metamorphagus found himself holding and realizing that not only was it surprisingly easy to steal the scarlet robes, but it was also equally easy to steal a fabric of invisibility cloak in his parent's bedroom.

Teddy lurked on the edges of the huddled group of Aurors for ages yet he could not find the perfect moment to slip himself in. But then suddenly, with one great breath, he heaved himself up in a flash. He had slipped through their ranks.

He was walking along with everyone when one head jerked his way. There was a shade of surprise etched in the Auror's face. Teddy thought it was suspicion.

They've noticed me.

"This is going to be a busy night," he quickly replied. "We will be going through the Hogwarts estate to find this mystery werewolf."

The Auror threw his head back and laughed. Teddy had never heard something so cold that sent chills to his bones. "I suggest you don't sweat it. We already have the warrant for Remus John Lupin. The whole investigation was just for show anyway. "

"What about the Mystery werewolf?" Teddy managed to say.

"We find it of course. Maybe even get to kill it in action."

"Aren't there already rules against that? Was it Granger who pushed it forward with a lot of her propagandas?"

"Not now there isn't. It would have been better if we were back at the old times. When we were hunting werewolves to extinction. T'was a nice sport, that was."

"Such a shame we can't do it now," replied Teddy mechanically.

The man clapped him on the back. "Don't stay down. We can still claim it's for self-defense," he winked.

"What are you doing talking to the rookies?" barked Dalios.

"But sir, you told us Remus John Lupin is probably the werewolf on the loose. He did not just want the public to know."

No! Teddy wanted to shout. But what good would it do to shout at the murderers that they're murderers? Especially if those murderers held wands.

Teddy heard enough. He got the information he needed. It was time he did something about it. He took one last look at their menacing figures, he casually slipped outside their circle when they had a detour on one of the convenient nooks. He was not there all sweaty and panting like the last time. He was thinking. Unable to comprehend what his little skills could do in such a demanding situation. Nothing. It was an agenda for the adults. His father would be arrested, and if he ranted, he will only be held down by a single shove. A child can do nothing to impact its outcome.

He broke into a run when he came to an empty corridor to immediately seek his father to tell him to escape on the back of the castle and hide. But father had already gone to his ward for the night. It was useless. Even if the full moon has not yet come out, he could not get past those wards with his current abilities. The Aurors will already be waiting for his father at sundown. Then they can do whatever they want.

Teddy had heard stories of course. And it scared him. Everytime someone goes into their house, he felt like they were there to take his dad in chains. Then Remus wouldn't fight. He would just let them drag him off.

Teddy was almost angry at him for not fighting back. But father had said it would only sink them lower if they show aggression. And that he still had a lot to learn on how politics worked.

That's it, Teddy decided. He had his limits. If his father was too ninny to save himself, he was the only one left to do it. He walked faster towards the Gryffindor tower.

"Alice! Alice!" Twice that day, Teddy found himself pounding another door.

The door opened with a creek, and an icy voice of Alice greeted him. "What is it?"

"Please. You've got to help me. Violet's not about to come back from the ministry and they are about to kill daddy by 'accident'. Nobody's going to do the investigation. Everyone wants him dead. We must find the person now. This night, before the moon rises."

"But we must wait for Violet. Things like this is likely to get messy," said Peggy.

"Violet's not coming back," said Alice.

"What?" said Teddy and Peggy at the same time.

"You sent her the patrounus about your father in trouble, yes?"

Teddy hesitated. "Well, well… no."

"Has it ever occurred to you to contact somebody more powerful than ask for help from teenagers who are still learning to navigate the world as much as yourself? It's an unspoken rule of the world. If you can't do something, get a leverage and stop pushing hard."

For the next ten minutes, Teddy was busy waiving his wand for the patrounous. One for Tonks, One for Harry, his godfather, one for his Aunt Hermione. They waited patiently for any sign of reply.

Nothing came.

"This is something important. The first reaction your mother would probably do is to apparate straight here. And considering the debacle on full moon, you'd expect her to be here to take care of things. I'm afraid she is probably abducted by now. Illegally detained. Or else blackmailed to stay put."

Teddy sat on the chair putting both hands in his face. "What are we going to do?"

"Teddy, has it ever occurred to you that your mother is not the only adult in your acquaintance? We need to seek the assistance and the advice of adults before we move on our own. It's always a worthy decision to seek more powerful persons instead of acting on your own."

"I tried calling uncle Ron and Harry, but they were still away in Russia. I already sent them owls, but I doubt it would reach them tonight."

"Patrounus? What about sending a patrounus?"

"Sent them already, but with no reply."

"Granger?" asked Alice.

"The Aurors said she was already taken care of for the night, they said."

"Try to contact her at all cost. Isolating ourselves and not getting any help is one of the reasons why so many operations failed in the past. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of communication during these moments."

Teddy threw another patrounus outside the window. "I don't think it will do us any good. She is probably held up in another Wizengamot meeting where any interruption would be considered criminal."

"That's not enough. We need to find her," said Alice.

"But how do we? All the secret passages are blocked."

"Not if we-"

She was interrupted by a sudden red envelope dropped in front of Teddy.

"Teddy, I need you to listen very carefully." It was Hermione's voice and all at once, a shade of relief washed over him when he heard it. "We received the information you sent us and I have dragged Harry and Ron back from Russia in order to mobilize a new Auror team to handle this whole affair. You need to stay put and be very careful. At most, try to hide this night and don't go into the open whatever happens. The old guards who are supposed to protect you from the werewolves may be an ambush team ready to point their wands at you. Anything may be just a plot to lure you out or pin your father."

"A two whole Auror team for duel?" asked Alice. "In a school? The school board will not be happy. Even if your father comes out alive, his reputation is still effectively ruined. If the new team of Aurors don't come, the Auror guards will just shoot him dead for the night. I'm afraid this is checkmate. Whoever planned this must really have thought about everything. Or else he may hate your father too much."

"Or maybe both," said Peggy.

"What are we going to do?" said Teddy again.

Alice sighed. "I don't know about you wizards, but if you just had a few R and D scientists to figure out a vaccine to prevent everyone from being infected after a bite, none of these issues would have happened. But as it is, we should learn to stand on our two feet. We have less experience, but we will still try to move. What are our options, Teddy? What are the things that are still in control that we could possibly use to influence those that we don't have control over?"

"I don't know what we can possibly do," said Teddy.

"What are the things that could make the Aurors stop shooting?"

"I could throw myself between them and shout for them to stop shooting, or shield my father from being killed."

"A Hufflepuff would say that. You could write odes and epics about it yet the only thing it accomplishes is to get yourselves killed. Think better," said Alice.

Teddy sat silent for a few minutes. Then after a long pause, he finally said, "We have to come back there tonight. Find some evidence about the incognito werewolf before any breakout of the fight starts," said Teddy.

"I see…" said Alice.

Everyone knew what 'there' meant.

"The new portals may have new features that we still don't have any idea with. I also no longer have clearance access to the his labs, we would have to open it with screw and tinsel."

"How much chance do we have of opening it?" said Teddy.

"Ten percent. Maybe Fifteen if we have a drive and keep our morale longer," said Alice.

"I'll take it," said Teddy.

There was a slight pause for which Alice looked at him with searching eyes. "How far are you willing to bet to save your father?"

Teddy looked at her with unblinking eyes.

"Alright," Alice took a deep breath. "Let's begin."

.oOo.

There was a knock on Laurence's door. Laurence couldn't see who it was, since only a silhouette could be seen from the dim lit hallway outside the boy's dorm.

"Violet, if you came here to bother me again, I won't be merciful like last time."

It was not Violet.

"Oh, It's you," said Laurence a little bit disappointed. "Have you seen Violet?"

Serenity slowly opened it and closed it behind her.

"What do you want?" asked Laurence again.

"You're asking the wrong questions," said Serenity.

.oOo.

"Transform into Violet and make him open the door to his room. Then you have to keep it from closing with a piece of paper, for us to sneak inside."

Teddy's brow furrowed, as he faced a formidable door in front of him. He knocked.

.oOo.

Somebody knocked on Laurence' door. For the second time that night, he opened it.

Violet Sharp was standing in front of him with her willowy hair.

.oOo.

Thing were not helping alleviate the stress. Remus was going to have a full moon that evening, yet everything was still in chaos inside the school. Tonks had gone to the Ministry and it looks like she would not be returning for the night. Probably running around to try to get him out of trouble again.

"I want everyone's cooperation in this operation. Professor Lupin will leave the school premises and transform in his basement house away from the school, for everyone's protection," the headmistress announced that morning. "Two MLE guards will be on site to oversee if he is telling the truth that he is not the escaped werewolf. The whole castle will be heavily guarded with Aurors on every corridor. Students are to sleep in the grand hall where the Aurors can easily take count and protect everyone. "

"Darn this werewolf kid," Remus heard a kid say. Being in one of his posts in the great hall, it's amazing how the children could sometimes forget he was still in the room. "I bet he forgot his Wolfsbane potion only that one night, and now everyone's inconvenienced. Why the heck did he have to guts to go to school anyways? He should never have gone out of his hole."

"Watch your mouth," said his friend near him. " The teachers may hear you."

He went home where an adjacent room will be waiting to lock him for the night. The place was safe from the students if ever the wards are overcome. The outside of their house would only lead to the forbidden forest.

"Teddy? Teddy? Are you home?" he called from the stairs. There was no answer. He is not in their house. That was safe enough.

The boy had not put away his chocolate frog cards again. He noticed with irritation. The glass of water and the half-eaten chocolate made him further frown.

Very well, that would do for the night. It was too late to do any last minute cleaning. The moon does not wait.

Everyone was to be sent to the grand hall, and all the doors would be barred. No one was to stay inside their dormitories. The two Aurors outside was to guard his room throughout the transformation.

But even with all the precautions and the preparations, the plan was not full-proof. The werewolf child might transform in the midst of them. What if the child transformed inside the grand hall itself? How many students would actually be injured before it is contained?

But still, everyone who wished to go home may do so, for the wrath of the parents were to be attended to. So the werewolf child, whoever he is, could just remove himself (or herself) for the night. The werewolf child might not be there still. There were many things going around his head before the first pangs of transformation hit his bones.

When the werewolf transformation would strive to hit his body, the wolfsbane will take over, and he would still be able to feel his surroundings. Remus knew there was something wrong the moment his human thoughts did not form as they used to. Instead, Raving desire for blood started to kick in. Blood, food, scent bloody hell, what on earth- this is a bad batch… That was his last coherent thought, before the wolfish ravings took over, and he lost all sense of humanity.

.oOo.

When the sun peeked its way up again, Remus opened his eyes to see that he found himself surrounded by heavy vegetation and ferns. He was in the heart of the forest. Upon his attempts to go up, he discovered a rather large cut on one of his legs. He wondered when the last time was that he had to wake up alone. He was not used to the idea of Tonks not being around to nurse him. but he tried to sit up on his own anyway, ready to limp back to the castle to take care of himself.

It was when he noticed three dead bodies lay around him. Even with their torn limbs, he recognized their uniforms all very well. They were Hogwarts students.

His worst fears had come true. Three of his students were lying dead just meters away from him. Their corpses all gazed at him with their naïve eyes. And his son. His own son was lying dead on his feet.

.oOo.

"Live a good life. Marry, and be happy. I'll be here watching you grow into full bloom."

America. That was the answer. She had been offered to be stationed there as part of the advanced guard for the embassy. Remus and Charlie lost no time to make her sign the papers.

"We can meet new people. Forget about this like it's a bad dream," Charlie had said. "It's always been us. We can work this out again." Remus also said the same thing. Though his words must have been more articulate.

Tonks saw reason and requested Remus to see her off as her last request.

Tonks looked at each of them with a pained expression on her face. Charlie stretched his hands. Remus stepped back. The ship behind her gave another long honk to make everyone go inside.

"I wish you well," said Remus.

They walked away leaving Remus to brush the dust off his hat. Nymphadora looked back. Remus would always be there standing. But suddenly, he stiffened, then turned. She watched him walk the opposite direction.

Tonks looked in front of her again, at the vast ocean ahead of her, then to the great ship towering above them, promising her a great future. A full life. A happy life. Then she looked back. A grave mistake.

"Come on, Tonks," Charlie nudged again. One of his foot was already on the stairs to the boat.

"Just… just a minute. I have to see him off outside the gates."

She was about to touch his hand when her eyes wandered over to the inside of the ship. There was a slender woman her left hand balancing the red contents of her glass precariously, leaning casually to a man, who was wearing a black coat. The lights were dim yellowish and she could see a glimpse of a buffet table just across the room.

It must have been a great party, full of dancing and great music. They could eat at the side of the ship and just look out at the gulls or at lands they may stop at along the way. Not that the whole idea did not appeal to her. Yet, only she remembered those quiet moments with a cup of coffee, or when Remus brought her to the his cottage, with that breezy woods on the left. She remembered wanting to step her foot on its soft grass, because Remus said it would be nice. She remembered all the leaves fell from its trees and how Remus made it twirl around them.

No. Not that the lights inside the ship did not appeal to her. It just that, it became so pale when she thought of all the places she was already taken to.

"Remus!" He felt that familiar hand grab him from behind. He turned around to find an out-of-breath Tonks who just stopped running.

"You walk so fast," said Tonks, still panting.

Remus stared at her blankly. "I…"

"Oh shut up Remus."

Then suddenly, it was like he woke up in a sort of trance and immediately told her. "Ride the boat! It's leaving." Remus took her hand and started running towards the boat…

When Tonks woke up, she was already hard back on the concrete floor. She jumped forward and shook the cells as if to test if it was real. It was the same cell where she had put other scums inside for their misery. The same cell where she watched them all break their spirits while she had to look aloof and firm.

She saw a figure approach her. The foreboding face of another Auror looked inside the confines of her cell. She withdrew inside the shadows for him not to read her face.

"You can't lock me in here. This is illegal detention," she said quietly.

"Watch me," said Dalios from across the bar. Then he softened his tone. Even a bit hopeful. "This is only until we put him to sleep with a dementor's kiss. We'll let you out eventually."

"Coward. Fight me with legal papers. You better hope you never let me out of this cell. The moment I get free, I'm going to hunt you down."

"I am tired of this Tonks. I have tried again and again, to be kind to you. But you never even looked. Remus-" he gripped the handle of the cell tighter. "- he is not even famous. He is a nobody. He would have been the looking at trash bins for his next meal if you had not taken him in, there is nothing to that man."

"And he would have eaten his meal with more dignity."

"Look at you." Dalios extended his hand to her cheek. "You are too beautiful to waste your life to that rascal. Someone like you should have been up in pedestal as a wife of someone of your own caliber. "

She flicked his hand away. "I am nobody's trophy wife. I am my own. We aren't school-children anymore to decide that way."

"Exactly. We are not school children anymore," replied Dalios. "A simple obliviation spell would clean you."

"Don't touch me." spat Tonks. "Remus is worth ten of you."

"Not anymore. Haven't you heard the news? Your son is dead."

"What do you mean, you bastard?"

He walked away from the cell, raising his hand as if to silence a prisoner, ignoring the shouts from the person behind him.


	22. Concerning Werewolves

"Who is the monster and who is the man" - Victor Hugo

.oOo.

Looking back that evening, Alice wasn't sure where it had spiralled out of control.

Perhaps it was when they decided to sneak inside the lion's den to get what they needed. Or before that, when she noticed that there was that fly that was buzzing all over them but she couldn't quite kill even with a wide-range swoosh attack.

When Alice saw that Laurence was distracted by Teddy posing as Violet ministrations, she quickly signalled to Peggy for them to put on the invisibility cloak and head towards the boy's dormitory.

"Open any kind of door or window. The portal could be anywhere." said Alice, ransacking the closet nearest to her and ending up opening the window herself, looking out to test if it lead to somewhere.

"There are place displacements on Laurence's room. Points are not strong enough for us to find the exact location, but I'm sure there is one here."

"What are we looking for exactly?" asked Peggy.

"Merlin knows. It could be anything that has a hole. He wouldn't dare use a portkey, because all portkey traffics can be traced in broad daylight. It had to be a portal. A purse, a small opening that could channel another place."

There was scuffling and opening of cabinets as Alice looked through the drawers and files that would be incriminating. She gives a paper a hurried glance, before dumping it back off to where it was previously placed.

Peggy looked at her warily, not really knowing what to do.

"What on earth are you doing? Start scramming! Laurence may be here any minute," said Alice irritably.

"Right." She looked from left to right. Then she noticed the round mirror on the right side of his bed. It was a beautiful mirror actually. The carvings on the side were very exquisite that she couldn't help running her fingers through it.

But when she touched the mirror, it was not as solid as she expected. She stumbled forward. It was like putting her hands on water.

"Uhm.. I think you better see this," said Peggy, poking her hand experimentally inside.

It was another portal.

It took them approximately 10 minutes to all fit themselves inside the entrance. Peggy's feet landed next to Alice. Then she finally got the chance to examine the room itself.

"Lumos!"

Peggy huddled behind Alice's light as she went forward with her wand lit. With the small light that the wand offered, they could make out another room that looked like an office. "This is it? I was kind of expecting, i dunno, a land in everlasting winter with talking animals and witches and prophecies."

Alice ignored her and went ahead.

And there, just lying in the middle of the table, as if begging to be read, was a thick folder. 'Project Merville,' it was stamped and labelled. Peggy looked at the papers inside.

_Merville Project Hypothesis. Magic could be extracted from magical beings and transferred to non-magical beings. _

_This theory was first proposed by Professor Margandy but was accepted as just non-sense and absurd. Yet by the laws of Physics, energy is neither destroyed nor created, just transferred or converted to another form. It is the great mission of this project to find this means of converting raw magic into a tangible substance._

_This phenomenon is further proved to be true by some cases of accidental transfer of magick. Legends had said that long ago, about 3000BC, an ordinary muggle, smaller than a dwarf and definitely non-magical was reported to have defeated a dragon with a ring that turned him invisible. With the technology and advancement in magick still not advanced at that time, they might have taken a simple delusion spell as something of importance. Or perhaps the rings was really as powerfull as the old artifact the invisibility cloack who was reported to be able to hide from death itself._

_But the ring had apparently the power to make the wearer not grow old. Which in itself could be called a phenomenon of magical transfer to non-magical beings._

_Students from Hogwarts were thus taken and made to drink a potion to extract this magic sap. Yet the first batch of potions was unsuccessful and only produced a small joule to lift a feather._ _S__peculation __suggests __that the extraction process was not sufficient and thus, could be further improved by introducing a new approach..._

And on and on it went. Which made Peggy's head ache because it was like she was tricked into reading a long boring thesis dissertation. Which she was.

Some of it were notes of the potion improvement, More control set-ups and modifications, branching experiments. Some ingredients of the list were crossed out, and their measure adjusted, along with the processes of making the potion, sifting, isolating elements, single displacement Magical Reactions. They were studying magic with graduated cylinders and test tubes and... sanitation.

The longer Peggy read, the more her stomach jolted with sickening revolt.

But they were snapped out from their ministrations when the room was momentarily blinded with two jets of red light. Her wands were thrown heaven knows what direction away from them, and before they could grope it back to their hands, lights flooded the room in one swift lumos.

Laurence was in the wardrobe entrance, his wand raised, pointing threateningly at her. His other hand around Teddy to cover his mouth and to stop him from moving. He was tied up behind his back. For of course it was Laurence who must have whispered the disarming spell.

"So you found me out. I'll just have to put you all down," said Laurence. Then, pointing his wand to the general direction of the sky, he said, "Passcode C0094S, username Elderwood. Elderwood. Alpha. Cut off all door portals connected to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

Peggy blinked once, then it happened. One by one, portals around them made whirring noises as they modified their destination.

"I thought you only obliviate people," said Peggy.

"Be quiet Peggy," said Alice. They were not in for a simple obliviation.

"For some reason, the obliviation wards don't seem to work for you. You leave me no choice," said Laurence, pointing his wand on Alice. And it would have been over then and there. Three bodies with someone else to be framed with. Alice knew that. Everyone who knew too much gets obliviated. Everyone who knew too much that can't be obliviated gets killed. And she had prepared accordingly. To the obliviation that is. But to the killing part, she still had no contingency plans. It was time to rack her brains to test her quick decision-making skills.

"I saw your experiment. " said Alice, thinking carefully on what she was about to say next. "You didn't have to burn the whole DepMys after you got it."

"Once the magic is all transferred to me, it would be useless if it was reversible. I had to burn the whole research to the ground," said Laurence.

"How did you break into the Department?"

"How did I break into the department? The real question would be, how on earth did that Department exist without it being stolen to? I listed all the possible ways to get inside. Heavens. I did not even reach list 3 when the DepMys opened its doors and ushered me in in their stupidity. "

"I asked how."

Laurence frowned. "You know very well my father specializes on aggressive security. I'm not sharing that information to you. Unless you tell me how you got past the obliviation spells on the entrance of the portal."

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that," _cause you will probably kill me after you knew_. "You do realize building a whole research of your own from stolen goods, which includes both muggles and wizards, is against the law?"

"So I broke a few regulations here and there. The ministry was not sharing their toys, I had little to no choice. Besides, there is hardly anything you can do with legal. You'd have me conjuring cheap magic tricks with all those rules., I might as well get a deck card."

"What are you going to do about it?"

"Use it of course," said Laurie.

"No, no. I meant those muggles you had to obliviate the moment they step out of the facility. What are you planning when they finally wiggle out of your net."

"They won't. My security is flawless."

"You talk like a lay person. Security is overrated. It's only a facade to make clients relatively sleep at night. One of these days, a muggle will slip out of your net and make an end to everything you've worked for. You pride your security to be concrete and undefeated, but It only took me seconds to figure out a workaround. What are you going to do then? When it goes out in public? Obliviate the whole world?"

"Spare me the lecture, this pet project is mine. You're just jealous I beat you into starting it."

She had to keep her talking and interested. She had to keep talking as well. "You don't lack the fundamental process, but you haven't figured it out yet, did you?"

"I'll figure it out eventually," said Laurence, sounding irritated.

"Not to mention it will take you months, maybe years to reverse engineer the remaining processes without me."

Laurence seemed to think about it.

"I just have to ask you though. Why Hogwarts? You did not have to make your facility so obvious and so showy. You just might as well have invited the MLE inside."

"I thought you figured it out be now."

"If figuring out stupidity is the way to impress you, I am relieved not to have done it."

"In the first place, it's the only location you could get a large amount of magical creatures. I could not possibly lure wizards out of their fidelious charm-guarded homes, let alone drag them by the hair. No. Student populace are more naive. And would readily believe any tale you tell them. But I'm disappointed in you. Aren't you even familiar with the Salami effect?"

Alice mused for a second. "So you planned to use it on the students. Get a little bit of everyone's magic so the whole population wouldn't notice a thing. And what better place to establish it than in a facility swarming with population."

"Where else can you gather a lot of wizard population in one sweep? Outside Hogwarts, the wizards are just dotted about here and there; with thick-lidded wards on their doors"

"And it would take a dent on your resource to operate one by one. In order for your enterprise to make a profit, it needs to operate efficiently and contain cost. The expense would have been quite unfeasible. But you do know that the Salami Attack had been outlawed-"

"By muggle standards! But there is no law in the Wizarding world yet."

"The absence of the law in a certain community although it is already established in common continents to be illegal is not an excuse to find loopholes-"

"Oh shut up. You've been doing loopholes yourself."

There was silence for a few minutes then Alice spoke again

"I know how to make it work."

"You're fibbing. I've been up in arms with this research for half a year, and you claim to know how to solve it just like that? Snape himself was already useless."

Alice shrugged. "You may figure it out yourself. Brainstorm for a year, or maybe two. Who knows. The new design just came to me out of nowhere."

Laurence looked uncertain. It was true, he had not made any progress for months now.

Alice saw hesitance. It was time to strike again and show her superiority, however falsely founded. "Let's strike a bargain again. You let us live, then I'll fix it for you," Alice spoke again. Pushing the luck on their life a little longer.

"Alright," said the smiling Laurence, gaining back his confidence. "Deal."

"Not good enough. I need a contract."

"What kind of contract?" asked Laurence.

"Hold out your arm."

.oOo.

Remus will be arrested because the children will be killed. But Laurence will not care for any of it as long as the three of them are declared legally dead.

Alice noticed that Laurence closed up the wardrobe connection by stopping a liquid that was apparently dripping from on top of the opening. That was how he did it. Not be by extendable charms. He dissolved the floo powder in water and let it drip steadily to keep the two places connected.

Laurence reactivated the portal. And when he opened the door on the wardrobe again, a different sight welcomed them: a room full of rows upon rows of potions.

"The ministry didn't really have to send investigators. I was just borrowing some students for a little while."

"You're not gonna get away from this! People will be looking for us. They'd realize were missing," said Peggy.

"Honestly, you'd think I haven't thought of that? This time, I framed Professor Lupin."

"You do realize Teddy is here. They can't accuse him of abducting his own son," said Alice.

"On contrary, it would sell off like hotcakes. Our dear beloved Professor Lupin, killed his own son. His secret enemies come out and feast. Put simply, He's a werewolf, they are humans; It's flawless. A simple full moon with a bad batch of potions and some bloodied bodies on the forest would take care of it."

"You monster!" Peggy charged forward.

.oOo.

"Monster! Monster!" a wave parents drunk with wrath raised their fist in indignation outside the Hogwarts gate.

"Why did you kill your own son?"

"You should have gone to hell!"

The werewolf entered his home for one last time. He did not bother to lock the door when he went in. Nobody was still looking for him, it may have looked like was a free man still. Any moment now, he will not be.

Teddy's Half-eaten chocolate was still on the table, inspite of Remus' insistence that he put it away, along with the glass of water in the counter, he told the boy to drink in order to wash off the chocolate and avoid getting sick. It was just last night he saw Teddy drink from the same glass.

This is a dead house. There will be no point going back to this place after this. Those beautifully draped tapestries will wilt down with dust and time. Tonks will never come back to this place. The same house that brought her joy was now the cause of her nightmares. What makes it all so heartwrenching was the fact that the house bore no brunt of the bad news.

The boy also ignored his orders to clear out the chocolate frog cards he was sorting in the living room.

"Teddy?"

Silence.

"Teddy? Are you home?" said Remus, his brain still half expecting with a mad set of hope that a vibrant boy would poke his head out of the doorway to answer.

He laid his hands closer to the cards, but found himself unable to touch the precious thing lest he destroy carefully laid out sorting. Or the arrangements that only Theodore Edward Lupin could do.

_Remus John Lupin._ _Nymphadora Lupin._ _Remus John Lupin._

Teddy would not trade those cards, no matter how many copies he got. He would let it stack and it would hold a special place in his frog card collection knapsack. For the life of him, Remus could not understand why he threatened to have this cards burned.

He slumped back as a sudden wave of emotional attack assaulted his chest again. The big chair was too far. He was sitting on the floor.

_"Dad, I've memorized what it says in the cards! 'The example of Remus Lupin's life did much to lift the stigma on the werewolf…'" _

_"…a werewolf killed his own wife… unable to contain his grief, had committed suicide… they were not able to afford wolfsbane…_"

_"It will not happen to us, darling_. _We are much more prepared and tougher than that."_

_"We must file a case for the authorities. I feel we have a duty to protect that child."_

_"Don't let them take me away, Daddy. I've got a toothache."_

He was tired. Too tired.

He knew from past excursions that no matter how hard he said how tired he was, the onslaught attack on his already exhausted body will not stop. But today he has gained another wound. A deeper wound than the last one, when he thought he already had the most painful. There was no mercy.

Auror Abbot appeared on the doorstep. "Mr Lupin, sir." he said hesitantly. He did not want to do this job.

Remus held out his hand to be bound.

.oOo.

One dreary afternoon, a new set of prisoners boarded a boat going to the isolated island called Azkaban. If you were a witch living near the seaside tucked away in an island with so little inhabitants, you would sometimes notice a new batch of prisoners appearing via an old portkey. There they would be shoved to go to a boat previously tied up to a singular wooden post.

From afar, even in the dimming day and mist, you could squint and still see the shackles in the prisoners' hands, as they shuffle their feet to sit on their designated chairs, each of them being pointed a wand.

One of those prisoners was unfortunately, Remus John Lupin. Former Professor of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Father to a murdered son, husband to a loving wife, teacher and friend. But as the guard shoved him to seat and gave him a number to put on his trousers, he became no one. He wore the same face as the people around him. Forlorn, desolate, empty. He belonged to no one and no one belonged to him.

"There are so many crows in here," cried one prisoner.

Even with his tired eyes, Remus' gaze drifted to the sky. From far off he could also see some crows flying, but they were too small to make out. He squinted to see closer. As one of these creatures flew nearer he had the privilege to see more of its details.

The Auror guard stopped for a moment from unwinding the thick rope to look up where he was pointing.

"Those are not crows," he said irritably.

They were not crows. They were not feathers. They were slithery cloaks with an occasional skeleton old hands protruding from its robes.

Azkaban was still far off, but Remus could already see the dementors hovering about, greedy for fresh souls to mar and break.

.oOo.

"Damn these soup! Water would have been better." The man laid it to the ground rather forcefully, causing the soup to spill among the sides.

"Are you going to eat that?" said Remus. He was locked in a cell with the man beside him earlier.

"The soup? Oh sure, you can have it. My wife will be here tomorrow to feed me proper food." he shoved the bowl towards Remus, and this time, Remus instinctively held it to place to keep the contents from spilling.

"You should not eat this stuff. You can just wait till your family get you something," said the man.

Remus sighed. Three pieces of peas, some tiny strips of vegetable and one little traces of meat and potato at the bottom. The rest was water.

He gulped the rest of his meal in one sweep. He always did that whenever there was food. He knew all too well that a lot of things could happen to stop even that little resource from reaching his system. It might accidentally slip and spill, or some other vermin like a rat might be already be on prowl to rob him of his meal.

Be that as it may. To drift off to sleep was one blessing still not deprived out of him.

_Flash_I dead bodies around him.

_Flash!_ he recognized his own son, after he just woke up from a dream imagining he was gobbling up something delicious. Then his own son's body is in front of him. All his fears were realized.

Morning came and the guards were already bellowing the names of the new inmates in the cell. It was him and the person who gave him the soup. They were being summoned by the chief warden.

He knew from the heavy boot steps that an auror was about to come near. That sound brought him a lot of memories.

"Professor Remus John Lupin," said a voice full of spite and satisfaction Remus knew too well. "I knew you would eventually wander your way here."

It was Dalios. He was circling him. Remus looked up. The dementors were also circling him, eager to devour their prey.

A sharp blow on the head. "You will answer the commander when he's speaking!"

"Yes sir," said Remus between coughs, his knees giving way to the floor. _Intimidation. They have to use it to make an order. Guards must be distant and disconnected with the prisoners. _His inner voice started to make defense.

_"It's all for the show of toughness, sweetheart. They must see that there are no mercy in our eyes," Nymphadora punched him on the shoulders._

_"I'm seeing the future , Darling, and I'm going to be a battered husband."_

"Please Dalios," Remus said warily. "What news of Tonks? Is she eating alright?"

He was kicked on his stomach for all his troubles. "Dog! Why are you asking that as if you still can? If she wastes away, I make sure you rot here for good."

Dalios lost his temper. "Talk, you damned self-righteous bastard!"

"Sir, that's enough," Abbot stayed Dalios' hand before it could make another hit. Dalios looked at him incredulously, surprised that a rookie would ever make a mistake of staying his superior. From someone who could not even do his job properly. Dalios made to hit him next. He cowered back and almost stumbled.

Inspite f his fears, Abbot was ablee to say, "Tonks would never let this happen."

"Well Tonks is not here." He left the hallway, leaving the other Aurors to put them to their corresponding cells.

.oOo.

The trial was for formality's purpose only. But it was apparent that he will only stay here for a few days before his sentence will be carried out. Remus found himself not caring that it was coming nearer. Only he needed to get some information. How Nymphadora was, what she was doing? She had to be okay.

Dalios himself was personally making the paperwork progress fast. From the very first, Remus knew that he had designs for Tonks after he was out of the picture. But he couldn't even bring himself to fight for her after the ordeal.

"She has her family," something that he did not have. He told himself. _I am her family. _He remembered painfully.

He was led the open space where everyone could get a full view of him.

"People of the Wizarding world vs Remus John Lupin, by the crimes you have committed: the slaughter of three children. Do you deny this?"

Remus Lupin looked around his persecutors. There was no one around. His friends were missing. They were probably sad on the sorry state of affairs that they did not want to see how it was concluded. Some were crying that he had to be executed. But what could anyone do at this point? The decision for death and life was out of their hands.

Tonks was not there. She probably-

"I repeat, do _you_ deny these allegations Mr. Lupin?"

Lupin snapped out of his inistrations and looked at the man who read his list of sins.

"I do not deny it."

"By order of RA 8761, you are hereby sentenced to death by sending off to the Valley of Death. Dementor infested valley laced with a hundred mile radius anti-apparition spells. You will be sent there by touching a one-way portkey."

A necklace was lowered to his neck. Lupin did not move in protest. The moment that it touched his skin, the item quickly whizzed itself to work. And before the eyes of a hundred spectators, Lupin vanished into hell.

"Sir. Mr. Lupin still has his wand," said one Auror.

"Ahh, leave it. He'll not survive for a week," said Dalios.


	23. Lupin's Delirium

Author's note: There has been a huge mistake! The last chapter 23 update you read was chapter 24 and was copied by mistake. It wasn't ready yet. Then I wasn't able to replace it for 2 days now. I'm really sorry. This is the real chapter 23.

Nat Tonks: I am not sure if he will survive this one. I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry.

VlightPhase: Teddy is still alive.

"Maybe it's me and my blind optimism to blame.

Or maybe it's you and your sick need to give love and take it away."

-Taylor Swift, Dear John

.oOo.

Lupin felt the familiar grip and light-headedness of using a portkey.

His feet touched the ground and he blinked. The mist was so thick he could barely see his own hands. He looked around him. At first, he could not make anything out of the mist around him. Then he spotted one black-hooded figure swooping among the mist just to his right.. two...three... the place was swarmed with them. Some were so close that he could see inside their burned, crippled cloaks. The Dementors will make him re-live his worst memories.

The rain started to fall. It has begun.

"Expecto Patronum."

Something beautiful. Think.

Nymphadora.

Yes, Tonks who loved to laugh at anything silly. How he shook his head once in disapproval, until she earned the rights to laugh. Always striving to prove herself. Passing her qualifications with hard work, striding over shackles and goons with only the wand protecting her chest. And yet, laughing merrily at her own blind optimism. Which he frowned at. Until she slowly led him to believe, to go blind himself so he could clearly see, that to laugh was not only exclusive for the privileged or to the young and the whole. That though his condition had ruined his life, he should not let it ruin his day. Even though it was wishful thinking, even though the world said it was a lie. It was more preferable than the truth. We conquer. The world at our feet.

Her spiky pink hair seemed to be the only shining thing in his memory. He tried to remember everything about her. She couldn't cook. She can't sew. She doesn't know the right flick to fold their clothes properly. Until he gave up trying to teach her.

They would duel together…

Teddy

He revelled at his joy. When he ran light on his feet, he would forget about his own heavy ones. When he laughed so carefree, it sounded just like his mother.

He had memorized all the alphabet, he had memorized all the constellations and the planets. He was so proud when he recited all the past ministers of the wizarding world. He also memorized all the laws past regarding werewolves from the first bill.

Leave us in peace. We are just trying to live. Remus said to nothing in particular after their window glass was broken by another stone.

Tonks laughed from where she sat at the front porch. No Remus. You ought to have known. It's never going to end. It's going to be like this for the rest of our lives.

Tonks hated it when someone judges them. On the things she wear, in the decisions she made.

Why do you tolerate such a man under your roof? Have you really been blinded with love, you've become immoral?

Do not smoke inside our house, sir. My son is here, she says. Feet firmly put to the ground, she told the man who was their guest.

What do you know of that? Why do you put so much value on yourself? You have already been laid by a werewolf. Warm my bed tonight. I'm next in line.

He expected her to shout, to punch, and beat him to pulp. But she just laughed and then burst into tears.

Teddy padded towards her with his small feet. Mama, why are you crying? Teddy's curious eyes looked up to her.

But she was smiling wanly when he got home so he would not see. Their walls had cracks. But they both knew that already. Both emotionally exhausted to even speak a word to each other. Court summons were coming. Teddy was not permitted to live with him in the same house.

Then one day she asked him to lunch, but her food was untouched. And she refused to let him pay for her. Just laid it plain on the table.

"Remus, let's get a divorce," casual upon the table, when they were just eating dinner.

He knew from the very start that the whole thing was just built up from his wishful thinking. She says she's not tired. When she says she was not too young to be tied up. She was not tired of seeing him always pottering about the house. Like he was some stray old dog that she could not get rid of, a dent in her otherwise colourful life.

Because he hardly spoke. Because then, they hardly talk. Because she loved someone else, and no matter how painful it sounds when the confession comes out of her mouth, he heard it. Because there was another man; who was young and had a lovely smile. Because Charlie has already left so as not to wreck the family. She was crying.

She was unhappy. How hard was it to go to Charlie and tell him to come back? How hard was it to drag his body to do what must have been done years ago? He wanted to get away from the pain of watching Tonks fall in love to a different person.

He stepped down the train turning over and over the battered ticket he had crumpled so many times wondering why it was in his hands, to look for the man, of whom nothing was in wanting.

"She needs you," said Remus behind Charlie's back, his face pleading. "Please come back to her."

She packed her bags. And she left nothing behind. She took Teddy. He would miss them every day. And he wished, and hoped and prayed that they would one day knock on his doors. But they were not going to come back. She was not coming back.

He would lay in his bed and call for her, only he remembers that there it is no longer a reality, that he was merely dealing with ghost- Only she wasn't. She was very much alive, but he could no longer gaze upon her. Only be seized with a terrible devastating longing.

But he could look. Behind the shadows of the crowd he could look.

"My baby boy!" Tonks would say, engulfing Teddy into a hug, and giving him a big kiss.

"Muu-um, we're in a train station," Teddy would say, turning red. Remus saw her face flash with a painful smile for a second, at the sudden reminder before her that Teddy looked a lot like his father.

Teddy grew up to be a wonderful child. He watched him play at the park near their house. It had a sand-pit.

The day finally came that he was old enough to go there with his friends, unsupervised. He was hanging on top of the monkey bars pretending to ride a broom. It was also the day Remus was waiting for to go forward and talk to his son. He was going to step behind the bushes. He carried with him a little bear he kept for so many weeks in his bedside. It was a gift for Teddy.

But before he could approach his boy, a man went to him.

"Mum...where's my mum?" he said. Although what he really wanted to say was entirely a different name.

Then he saw Tonks approaching them. He held her waist. Her head was in the crook of his shoulders. Remus went back to the shadows of the bushes. That moment, was to become the greatest regret of his life. Because two weeks later, a letter came from the ministry. The man has seen him. It was a restraining order. He filed for a ten-meter radius for Teddy to not be near his father. Category dangerous.

Everything was dark and misty around him and he shivered from the cold. His eyes flickered in pain for a second, then he shouted again. "Expecto Patronum!" loud and clear, he spoke the incantation. The dementors lingered on the outskirts of his shield, like cats not daring to approach and steal some precious food.

The man was Charlie. Relief flooded his systems. That was how it was supposed to be. Nymphadora was not lonely. She was vivacious, feisty, and fierce. Charlie made a race with her with their brooms. Charlie drew lots with them on who would wash the dishes. Charlie played exploding snaps with Teddy...

His patrounous dwindled. It faded.

The man's face was not clear; only a silhouette. Remus looked closer at the man. It was not Charlie.

He held out his hands to Tonks, and Tonks took it. They were dancing, but there was whiskey in his breath. Nevertheless, Tonks laughed at his antiques and she was swept off her feet, even though she winced in pain.

The man moved into their house. He was living with them. Young and whole, and full of life. Unlike the death that Remus brought with him.

The man would be there, and the man would kiss her, and they would go to the bed together, and they would go to holidays together. She was happy... But Teddy was crying.

They were shouting again. The sound of plates breaking would reach Teddy's room and Teddy would clutch his ears in pain. He would go to his room an hide in the closet with a stuffed toy he clutched . He wished and hoped and prayed that his dad would one day knock on their doors. Father would appear on the threshold of his bleak life with the bright sun behind him, blazing him with light. He would come for me. He would take me away... But father would not come back. He was not coming back.

And eventually we had to give up waiting. He threw the wolfie moony he was holding to the wall. He was angry for a second. Then his eyes went back to being tired and sad.

He wished things were not so broken like this.

There was Tonks again. The fire gone in her eyes. She used to stride past with such fierce force, she used to skip and hum while she walked, bringing sunshine even to the damp confines of the grim old brick walls of Sirius' house. But now she walked so lifeless, with her eyes always bordering in emptiness.

She lay on the floor, you would not recognise her for the same girl who stomped her way into the bogs and marshes with her bright mayday face. And people look to her and say, "What misfortune has happened to this poor soul?" Faced before him was the heap of mess he had made. He had broken this girl without mercy.

He hated himself. He should have tried harder.

His mouth was too dry.

His hands would not move.

"Expecto... patronoum..." said Lupin for the second time.

The man was gone, and Teddy would laugh like sunshine. Victoire would be there and they would play gobstones, and exploding snaps, just like he always did. They would skip in the garden, and climb trees and draw stick figures on the ground.

Victoire brought Teddy to their house. She covered his eyes and when he opened them, they were in the garden. And Victoire walked around on her pretty crepe, then sat on the floor. Teddy asked if her mother would scold her because it was dirty. Victoire said he was silly, and it was okay because it was bermuda grass. So Teddy asked her if he could also have bermuda grass at home. She told him it could grow and grow until it filled their whole backyard too. He held out his hand and Victoire cut him a tiny square. Then she went about the garden gathering seeds from every flower she could get her eyes into. She brandished it into his hands as if it was pixie dust.

They flooed back to Teddy's house, she and him. He ran outside the moment they were in his fireplace. And they planted the seeds here are there, their hands getting dirty over the tender earth. And every day, the seed would continue growing until there was a single bud, bursting to become a flower any day now, and the grass would continue spreading, and Teddy dreamt it spread across the backyard, it covered all that was not pretty, until the whole place was bursting with green and flowers. Their backyard would become as beautiful as that of Victoire's.

But one day, the man came home drunk. And he had stepped over the little garden. And it died the next day. The little flower bud was not spared. It withered too. Mother said to not be silly planting flowers cause there was no space. So Teddy looked on their vast backyard if there was any spot he could hide his new seed in where his father would not notice.

He built a tree house. It was a poor tree house. Only a roof made of old garments, and long sticks where he could find it. His small hands worked intently on each knot, marvelling at it with his naive face before plodding on again. He was not the Teddy who watched his father cut up wood to make him a small chair: A chair that had a compartment inside where he could keep his knuts. If it was Remus' Teddy, he would have known how to use a little hammer to make a beautiful makeshift tree house because his father showed him.

Nevertheless he could tie the garment with ropes on the tree trunks. And it was good. The ropes would glint like gold in the heat of the summer sun. He looked at his handwork, and was pleased.

But it started to rain. He stayed up the tree. He did not want to go inside the house. And he thought he was safe. And the rain was strong, but it did not destroy his lair. But it could not keep the water out. And he was drenched. All his clothes. Like he was drowning.

Remus' patrounous gave a feeble move forward, the dementors backed an inch only to go forward again through the fading light. Because it was no longer there.

The man had arrived home again. Teddy's heart beat faster when he noticed him swaying when he walked. He also had bloodshot eyes, and his steps were heavy echoing dread with every step. Teddy trembled. The man would kick the wooden wall or smash the plates and the noise would reverberate to the whole house like a nightmare.

Then Teddy would be so scared he'll have the courage to fight. But mother would scold him. Call him a bad child. And shout at him. Then she would kiss him, and wipe his back from being soaked. Then she would hold him and sing him to sleep with a lullaby. And Teddy would cling to her, to salvage a few delusions of a safe home.

Then the man went out and looked at the tree house. He became angry. Please don't destroy them! Teddy stretched his hand in vain attempts to stop him. But the man went passed him. He took a knife and cut the roof of his little house into pieces. It pierced through the thin fabric, ripped into pieces. The tattered remains fell to the ground. Teddy would not fight anymore. He was not angry anymore. Somewhere inside him, something also ripped.

Mother says it was not meant to be built. Because a tree was a tree, and it should not have roofs. Teddy thought he understood. Children ought to not build things that only get in the way. He felt ashamed for doing something only bad. He did not want to be one of the bad-behaved children. I will be good.

"Expecto...", then came Remus' laboured breathing. Lupin's knees were shaking. He reeled back… not from sheer exhaustion.

Teddy did not want to go home. He was scared every time his feet touched the gates. He saw Teddy's laughter fade, also to be replaced with empty eyes that looked into equal nothingness. His son stared at himself at the broken mirror. A pale-faced figure stared back. It did not know how to laugh anymore. The mirror fell to the floor to join the broken plates and broken china.

Teddy got sick. Terribly sick. But he wasn't worried. He was going to be sent to St. Mungus. Any minute, he would feel relief at the potions and the healers. Mum would arrive very soon.

But when mum arrived, there was shouting, and it made Teddy's head ache even more. He noticed through the gap in the door that the man propped a new firebolt lightfare on the side of the wall. "I needed to buy a new broom honey, my first one broke, so how am I supposed to get to the office?"

But Mum was angry because there was no more money to send Teddy to St. Mungus. He thought sick people get sent to St. Mungus. At a young age, he knew the hard facts: not all people get sent there. Only those with gringots gold.

"You bastard! That gold was to pay for Teddy to be sent in St. Mungus!"

"Fine! Have it your way then!" He slammed the new broom to the wall with no mercy as his anger drove him hard. Again and again. The broom quivered and the clasp of the strings finally came loose. The twigs scattered around the floor.

That night, nor the next night after that, until it went on weeks and weeks and months and months, Teddy was not well. But there was no St. Mungus.

This is not real. This is all the torment of this bastard place.

Dead. his son remained dead.

Why survive?

When you see Nymphadora in the cemetery. What will you tell her then?

Remus' knees finally gave way. His heart was heavy and so his body refused to obey him anymore. He collapsed on his knees from the sheer torment. All the time, the dementors kept closing in... closing in...

Creeping inside his dying light, like weeds snaking from the ground slowly trying to bury him alive, and engulf him into darkness. It was all destroyed…too late. Too late to do anything, too late to change anything.


	24. Inside the Lucedo Labs

A/N: As I've said before in the previous chapter, there had been some mistake. I accidentally posted chapter 24 instead of 23 in the previous chapter. I replaced it and set it to right after 2 days. So if you already read this part as the chapter 23, kindly go back to the previous chapter for the fresh one.

Hi everyone, it had been last April since I updated. Been busy with a new project lately. Anyway, if anyone's still reading this, here it is!

.oOo.

_They were walking on Diagon Alley holding frotesque's ice cream each. ("Guess what flavour you're going to choose?", she told him) It had been a forlorn week and their meetings were forever being dampened by Snape's reports. Tonks had just managed to drag Remus out of the headquarters and after much toil, coaxed a smile to form in his face, so solid, it could outshine any rose in its full bloom. _

_But all of a sudden, a man, without warning, suddenly shoots a cutting charm at his direction. All happened very fast. There was a shout from Tonks then she flicked her wand to shield him from the spell, but that same moment Remus was also quick to push her out of the way. The result was a clean gash on his shoulder._

_"Die you filthy vermin!" The man was gone as quickly as he had come._

_Tonks was about to go after him, but behind her, Remus just fell to his knees, blood already dripping down to his torso. Remus needed immediate attention._

_"Lay still Remus, Oh M..Merlin, there's so much blood," Tonks hands were shaking when she dropped the potion to his gashing shoulders. She then traced her wand to the wound in order to stitch it back whole again. She laid him to his cottage lest Sirius got wind of it and both their black tempers get the better of the situation._

_"It's okay Nymphadora. I've had deeper cuts than this. I'm used to it. "_

_"No you shouldn't! You shouldn't be used to it!" said Tonks angrily. "I'm going to file a case to the Ministry," she made to march out the door. Only Remus stayed her with his working hand._

_"Listen. If you let out a report, the mission of the Order will be compromised. We can't tell people you're associated with me."_

_"I won't let him get away with this. I'll-"_

_Remus smiled weakly. "Get him back? If we do that, we will be no different from him."_

_"Dammit Remus, I became an Auror so I could do something when stuff like this happens!"_

_"Please," he laid a soft hand to her own that were balled into a fist. There was that moment when they looked into each other's eyes for the battle of their wills. "Do this for me." It was the first time Remus made a selfish request for himself, imposing his will as the only reason, laying claim to her affections. Only it was not for his sake. It was for everyone around him. And nothing is left for himself._

_"When it is time to act, we will act. But not today. Today we need to hide," he said. Nymphadora sighed when she realized, a thousand days she could have raged in fire, but one request from this man in front of her and all her hate was undone._

Nymphadora Tonks woke up with a start. She opened her eyes to find herself in a very dark room. Then memories came shooting back into her mind. Son dead…Remus arrested, with a death sentence. Herself illegally held to not interfere…

Light filled her cell for a second before it was shut again. Then it was back to the dim shadows of the holding cell.

A silhouette of a man traced the entrance before he shoved it shut. The man slowly approached the small figure on the far side of the room. It was a Nymphadora, sitting with her eyes seemingly closed in spite of not lying down.

"Why are you here again? I don't want to see your face," said Tonks.

"I know what haunts you," said Dalios.

She did not choose to reply. It was her protest. Or perhaps she was just too tired.

"You did not expect this to happen did you? The werewolf warned you, yet you've fallen into his trap. I knew he only had one plan for that precious child of yours."

"Shut up."

"He betrayed you." From across the dim light, they could barely make out the faces of each other. "He was breeding the child for slaughter.

"I know, deep down inside your heart that you wish. You wish you have never met him. You wish none of this had ever happened. If only you did not meet that werewolf, it would have been a perfect life for you, for us. There would be nothing in wanting."

Tonks gave no indication that she was listening. But he plodded on. "Now tell me. Was it worth all the pain? Was it worth the life of your innocent son?"

"Remember this Dalios. That no matter what you say, you will not convince me. I will not be your wife. Not now. Not after everything."

"But you said once that you could have married me. It used to be both of us together." His prisoner was proving to be uncooperative.

He listened hopefully for her reply. But she did not open her mouth again. "Very well then, you leave me no choice," said Dalios. He raised his wand. Tonks knew that stance. Her eyes widened.

Dalios finally smiled. He had broken her. The fierce untamable Nymphadora Tonks has finally crumbled at his feet.

"Dalios please, I'm begging you! Please don't take away my memory. I'll… I'll do whatever you say!" Tonks pleaded, implored. And begged.

"Your memories are not that precious. It is not worth keeping." Dalios waved his wand. "I'm sorry Tonks," said Dalios. "It needs to be done."

"Obliviate," Dalios gave one mighty flick of his wand. Merciless. Detached as he had been used to deal with his prisoners in Azkaban.

And that was the last of Nymphadora Tonks before she slumped back to the ground unconscious for the second time.

.oOo.

_It was almost the beginning of the new school year, and as it is, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has now sent out their letters calling for new recruits. The task of delivering a very important letter to a young child fell into Remus' hands. _

_One beautiful May morning, he would be seen walking alone in a dirty patch of road for it. To his left and right, grasses as tall as his shoulders were up and about, a little brown from the summer heat but otherwise upright and well. There were no one on the road until he saw a girl playing and picking some flowers on the sidewalk. _

_"Excuse me," he touched his hat in greeting. "Are you perhaps familiar to the whereabouts of Miss Penelopie Price's house? I was under the impression that it was at the edge of town, but now I think I have lost my way."_

_"Penelopie Price? That strange child who kept talking to herself? What would anyone want with her?" said the girl._

_"I need to talk to miss Price about something very important."_

_Peggy was not dreaming. The man was looking for him. The letter was telling the truth. She ran towards him, shouting at the top of her lungs, "I am it! I am it! I am Peggy Price!"_

_Professor Lupin was quite taken aback, but he recovered really fast and smiled at the out-of-breath child in front of him. "My name is Professor Lupin. It's a pleasure to finally meet you Miss Price." _

_The man extended his hand towards her. For a moment, she did nothing but stare at It, not because she did not know what to do, but because she was not used to such pleasantries. She took out her own and carefully placed her own hands to shake his._

_So Peggy lead him to their house, shouting to her mother at the top of her lungs; the letter was not a hoax. She really got an acceptance letter. She was going to a prestigious school._

_But she soon regretted leading Mr. Lupin inside._

_"I assure you Mr. Price, that Peggy will perform beautifully in Hogwarts. It is an exclusive school for gifted children and only a few people can enter. __She will have the best education."_

_The girl whom they were discussing peered out behind a door._

_"What do we need far schools for?" the Peggy's father slurred. "It's just unnecessary expense, when she could just go to the school nearby. What was the whole point of building a school here then, if it wasn't good enough?"_

_"All the same, I beg you to reconsider. Peggy Price will have the be__s__t oppurtunities after seven years of quality education in our school. It will not go to waste, and her future will be secured."_

_You think you're so high and mighty because you're dressed well and you look down on us? What do you know of poverty and not having enough to eat? People like you,-" he pointed his hand that was holding the bottle of Brandy to Remus, "have never gone hungry in his life has no right to judge us. That girl stays here."_

_Peggy hid behind the wall and closed her eyes. She wanted to cover her ears but the voices would not stop even if she did so. _

_But the man in front of Peggy kept standing. Peggy noticed for the first time how tall he was._

_"Well then," said Professor Lupin at last. "What does Peggy say to this?" He looked at Peggy and askee her. "Where do you want to go?"_

"Professor Lupin! Professor Lupin!"

"Peggy."

"Professor please don't die! I want to go to school, don't let them take me back home!"

"Peggy Price!"

Peggy woke up with a start. Teddy had shook her hard. She found herself in a dimly lit room with two single beds on either side. If everything was made to be as drab as posible they would not even notice it because of the lights. It discouraged conversation and the whole room seem to be a natural morale sucker.

"Where's Professor Lupin? Is he going to be alright?" asked Peggy.

Teddy shook his head. All Teddy could think of was his dream about a thousand dementors in a very dark valley. "I don't know." he gulped. "If he was accused of killing us, no one would forgive him. Not even himself. They will see a monster. Not a man."

Peggy stared at Teddy as he kept on pacing. They were still locked in a single room without wands. Occasionally, there will be scruffling sound from the outside and they would know food will be placed through a slot on the door. After all, Laurence only needed Alice.

Teddy knew not finishing the experiment was the only thing that was keeping them alive. After this, even if Laurence could not kill them, he would probably dispose them somewhere else. Away from his parents. Regarless of what was happening to them now.

Ñ

"We just need to get back so we could prove we weren't killed," said Peggy.

"I don't even know what's happening back home. If.. If dad is already hurt or if he's already been kissed. "

Peggy patted Teddy on the back. "Don't worry Teddy. We'll get you out. We'll let the whole world know you're alive."

Teddy exhaled. His face determined. "We have to get out of here."

.oOo.

It had been days since they were kidnapped. Alice was working profusely with Laurence. She was given her old research unit before she was fired, and she promised to perform well.

"Welcome to Lucedo Mansion," said Laurence. When they first arrived here, Laurence welcomed them with open arms. Looking back, Alice was thankful that the face-value of her skillset was enough to exchange a few days of their lives. The question to be strained now was, how valuable are her skills exactly? To what limits could she use it in the event of survival. Is it enough to buy their freedom?

Alice knew Laurence was just keeping them there for the sake of keeping up her morale. He would probably dispose both of them in some tropical island and wipe them of any trace of the wizarding world so they'd be sure to not wander back into Britain.

Laurence could have them carted off obliviated and sent to the end parts of the world where they would not be able to get back to Britain because of their empty heads.

Only he's hesitating on doing that because he is under the impression that Alice has a trick against Obliviation. And releasing them would be as good as a confession.

Others may ask why she continued to tie her hair neatly from her room, whilst she was a prisoner. But opportunity was opportunity. So the very moment she set foot inside the building for good, she was therefore intent on making friends.

"Miss Forster! What are you doing?!" Timothy doubled back just as he was about to disappear from the bend.

"I am simply trying to eat my dinner," said Alice.

"That's not for you. I already gave you your share."

"Where? O there at the table top. I'm sorry. I didn't see it earlier."

Good thing you did not touch it yet," said the man.

"Oh. These are for my friends then, " she asked the man who prepared the food casually.

"Never you mind," said the man.

"Touché," Alice shrugged. But she was right.

.oOo.

From behind the bars Teddy squinted to make out a man approaching their dimly lit room. Despite their circumstances, he was a relieved the man was bringing food. It was more than just the food. Bringing it in meant the place was not as heartless as it was first made to be.

Teddy Remus Lupin looked down on his own plate. It was too lush for prison food, yet after a while he still found himself still musing over it with his fork. His father's greatest fear was to hurt anyone with his wolf. If he did not come back there alive, Laurence would have effectively killed his father. No. It was worse than kill. He would have subjected him to a lot of torment.

Peggy was already gobbling down her plate of spaghetti. He was going to frown but then he remembered that it was useless to sulk and get angry specially in an unknown terrain.

"You're eating as if it doesn't have poison," Teddy commented.

"Don't worry. I'm a bit sure Laurence will be keeping us as pets for a little more time yet," said Peggy.

"I guess you're rig- ow!"

"What happened?" asked Peggy suddenly.

"I think I've been poisoned!"

"No you haven't. You just bit something hard," said Peggy. "Why it's just a vial with some memory in it. It must be from Alice. She'd use this of course, now that they've taken her wand away," Peggy continued to eat her food.

It took Teddy a few seconds to register what just happened. "Quick, open it up!"

.oOo.

When Tonks woke up, she found herself in a very different world. Dalios filled him with the latest news.

Her son was dead. He told her. Killed by her husband during a transformation. His husband was sent to the Valley of Death. It all happened when she was unconscious during a raid.

She wanted to go back to their house, wanted to see for herself the damage made to her world. But she was still not allowed to return.

"I think.. I think I want to be alone for a bit."

"Tonks, you are in distress. You should not be left alone!"

"I said get out! OUT!"

Dalios held up his hands in surrender. "Of course, whatever you say, Tonks."

When he was finally out of the room, Tonks ran a nervous hand through her hair. Grabbing a fistful of it with her fingers, she saw it with her eyes. A streak of straight vivid Violet strand were found in the innermost part of her. And she knew what it meant. Somewhere inside the room, is a hidden vial full of her memories. And she must find it before her enemy does.

.oOo.

When Tom went out of the door, an envelope burst to life.

Alice slipped a paper in his pocket to get him to remember the wizarding world past the tight obliviation security.

When Rangie took it out, it contained a couple of instructions to withdraw a certain bottle from a swiss bank. It contained a memory that made him remember everything inside the building. It would only take a trigger to remember everything from the obliviation.

The envelope began to speak. "Listen carefully to what I'm about to say…" the envelope said.

.oOo.

_"Are you familiar with cloud technology?" said Alice out of the blue._

_"Is this another one of your muggle lectures, said Tonks. "because if it is, I'm listening." _

_"It's the part where you upload your important files to a server where-"_

_"Just get to the point."_

_Alice sighed. "Let me try again. When muggles do something important, they store it immediately to many different places. So that when a place where they have that important material is burned- you know, like what happened to the Ministry at the Department of Mysteries, they have a lot of extra copies. It's elementary security really."_

_"Ahh, like Voldemort storing his souls to seven different objects to preserve it."_

_"Exactly. That way, it is indestructible. Many a muggle and wizard have lost many valuable things just because they did not store a copy. And I say, the more copies the better."_

_"So what are you saying, that we should make horcruxes?"  
_

_"Of course. If there is a legal and moral way to do that. But that's not the point."_

_"Go on…"_

_"The point is, that we should store our memories to vials. Then hide it somewhere if we get wind that we are going to be obliviated. Then we should leave a signal to ourselves. The moment that this signal is on, that would mean we have lost a memory. Now it would simply be a matter of retrieving it back. Honestly, obliviation is just a joke."_

_A strand of violet hair in the middle of her head_. That was the message she left herself. A message to see if she had been obliviated. Once she had driven Dalios out in her fit of outbursts, it was only a matter of looking around trying to find vials that contained her memory….

.oOo.

Dalios sipped his coffee with ease. Everything went according to plan. It turned out that he did not even have to push his influence far before the Wizengamot was grovelling to sign his execution paper. At first it was just the greedy politicians who wanted to push for more votes were on his side. Prejudice might be prejudice. But it served its purpose. Because in Wizarding Britain when everyone had a sheep mentality, it only took a couple of propagandas to bring the nation to its knees. Show a couple of pictures, watch them respond emotionally and do your bidding.

But his perfect little bubble was burst when Tonks came bursting at his door.

"The bastard's here! Arrest him immediately, along with his conglomerates."

A dozen Aurors went through the door and Dalios was too confused to even notice what was happening.

"What's going on?"

"I'm a Metamorphagus," Tonks was forcefully flicking her wand repeatedly to her side for practise. It was spurting red sparks as she flicked. "Obliviations don't work on me."

There was a look of horror and defeat in Dalios' face before he went down to be bound.

"Where are you going Tonks?" asked Kingsley.

"Permission to leave sir," she stood up straighter. "I need to get to Azkaban."

Dalios suddenly laughed maniacally. "You're too late Tonks."

"What do you mean? What have you done with him?" said Tonks, grabbing him by the collar.

"He's already in the valley of death. He's probably dead by now."

"You-" His clothes almost got ripped by sheer force.

"There's nothing you can do now Tonks. It's done," said Dalios. "I just want to save you."

She dropped him forcefully. It would not do to waste time punching him, even though she could still hear him mumble, "you're safe now, you're safe now, It's alright," she hurried to the other direction of the hall.

.oOo.

"What are you going to do? This is a one-way portkey!" Kingsley had followed Tonks after her outburst fearing for her emotional stability after losing her family. She had went back to her office alone. But instead of curling up in a corner, she was busy. Busy packing her belongings. "Tonks, don't be mad! You cannot expect to survive in there. At your state of grief...at _his_ state of grief… he would not survive a day without being kissed. Lupin may already be dead by now."

"They left him his wand. He may survive a few hours, even days," said Tonks. She continued packing their essentials, roughly calculating the food they would need for their journey back on foot. Broomstick does not bode well on the safety zone if a hoard of dementors are in the sky. Time was limited. Each second was precious. But if she didn't carry enough, it might also be their death. She grabbed the broomstick anyway. But it was no use flying. They would have better chances if they hid below rocks and plodded quietly. She knew the drill. The number of miles they had to walk on foot, before the dementors thin out. The possibility of regression and torment, the steady gnawing pain and grief and the never-ending valley that seem to stretch out for miles and miles.

Lupin would be too weak to fight for himself. But she could still stand.

"Dementors, they will tell him he'd die quicker if he gives in. He knows he doesn't stand a chance out."

"He knows I'm coming," said Tonks.

"Tonks, " said Kingsley sighing in defeat.

"Look." Tonks banged the table. "I've already lost my son. I am not going to lose my husband too. My choices may not be the same as yours, but it's still mine. Even if it's only precious few ones."

"Wait!" said Kingsley. He walked over to her and hugged her.

"Kingsley I…".., her face were bewildered for a second, and tears were threatening to burst but then, she remembered herself and her face burned with determination again. Her wand-hand on the back of Kingsley. And without more delay, she whispered two words. "…Perificus Totallus..."


End file.
